OPINION

Students are not pawns

There is something very wrong about the fact that the country’s main opposition party and teachers’ union representatives are trying to drag students into their causes and actions by encouraging them to join their camps and take part in their battles.

In 2008, Athens experienced scenes of violence that should not be repeated, with teachers encouraging their pupils to throw stones at police stations. It’s true that widespread riots were triggered by the fatal shooting of a teenager by a police officer, but teachers had no business stoking the reactions of angry youths.

The obvious desire displayed by the opposition to gain points among the country’s young people and the irresponsible behavior of those who seem to want to spark some kind of uprising among the student body may well backfire on their own plans. However, it could also push Greek society as a whole into chaos and situations from which it will not be able to extract itself very easily.

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