In the book "Students in Despair", I am focusing on the students of the International Education Junior High School established in Thessaloniki in 1985 for repatriated and migrant students.
During the school years of 2003-2006, the students experienced inappropriate behaviour from the school's Principal. The teachers were indifferent to the psychological abuse that the students were receiving for three whole years. The solution came from a reporter from the newspaper EGNATIA with the front page publication of the scandal.
This book details the following incidents that the students underwent:
- The purchase and daily use of a video camera by the Principal.
- Grabbing forcefully the necklace of a female student that resulted in breaking its chain, while she was still wearing it.
- Punishment of ten students with unsubstantiated accusations on intoxication and substance abuse.
- The medical examination of the students that proved they did not use any substances.
- Insubstantial indictment of a student for substance trafficking at the police department of Pylaia by the Principal.
- Psychological abuse of the top performing student of the final class by the Principal that was insisting she visits him at his place that resulted in the student dropping out of school.
- Indictment of two female students for the Principal.
- The front page of the newspaper EGNATIA that reported the incidents.
Finally, the students, the protagonists in this story should be proud of their ethos and their strength. After three years of efforts, they were justified by the result.