The Greek government has come out defending its decision to ban educational trips abroad for high school students, claiming that it is designed to protect disadvantaged children from the "trauma" of not being able to afford to join their school peers on international programs.
The Education Ministry says the ban applies to foreign trips for cultural and environmental educational purposes, however the annual final-year five-day excursions — which are purely for recreation — can still be organised abroad, as well as domestically.
A Ministry statement released on Thursday said the decision was made after government officials realised many Greek families were unable to cover the expense of a foreign educational school trip for their children. Schools around the nation are now being encouraged to organise educational excursions within Greece.
