1935 prosecution of Albania by Greece re: minority schools in Epirus

[Tsontos]

From April 6th, 1935 when Greece took Albania to Permanent Court of International Justice and won..



http://www.worldcourts.com/pcij/eng/decisions/1935.04.06_albania/

[Draco]

Before people rush to conclusions, I think the precise facts should be clarified. In that case, the Greek minority in Albania operated private schools at their own expense and the Albanian government closed them saying that private schools were not allowed.

This case does not impose an obligation for governments to pay for minority schools. In relation to the claims of "Rainbow" that the Greek government should pay for Slavomacedonian to be taught in Greek state schools, Greece is under no obligation to do so. "Rainbow" is nonetheless free to found minority schools and colleges, at their own expense, where the language will be taught.

[Tsontos]

Greeks have never asked for any funding from foreign governments for our minorities in Turkey or Albania. The problem is both those states never let them fund themselves hoping they will simply waste away.

[Draco]

In Turkey, Greeks fund their own schools and colleges, and the Turkish government closes many of them down. The most prominent being the Halki Theological Seminary and Lycee (high school) which the EU and even the President of the United States has asked the Turks to allow to be opened and they still refuse. Compare that with Thrace where the Greek government funds the Islamic schools and colleges. We do this out of the goodness of our hearts, not because the Lausanne Treaty obliges us to (the Treaty clearly states that schools should be paid for at the minorities' "own expense").

In Albania, the government funds minority schools only in the minority zones specified by the Hoxha regime. Needless to say that most Greeks live outside those zones, so their needs have to be met by private schools.

I should point out that both communities receive financial aid from organizations both in Greece and in the diaspora.