Nikos Filis

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Athens, Ieronymos gave an interview to Skai TV, where he dubbed Education Minister Nikos Filis “a problematic person”.

Hijab-wearing girls were more present than ever during this year’s students’ parade on occasion of celebrations for the national “Ochi Day”, in Athens, Friday. A student from Afghanistan, who took part in the parade for the first time and was the flag bearer, told prorothema.gr she felt proud.

Speaking to Skai TV, Education and Religious Affairs Minister Nikos Filis said the government had no plans to hold a referendum on the separation of Church and State.

The government must take steps to promote the separation of Church and state, according to a SYRIZA minister who has come under fire over plans to to change the way religion is taught in school.

The 82nd Rectors' Synod in the northern port city of Thessaloniki got off to a rocky start Friday after a group of students stormed into the meeting of university chiefs to protest government policy in education.

A Greek flag is raised by members of the Presidential Guard next to the Parthenon on the hill of the Acropolis, during a ceremony on Wednesday marking the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Athens from the Nazi occupation, which lasted from April 1941 through to October 1944.

Some 1,500 child refugees are to start lessons at Greek schools on Monday afternoon.

The lessons are to be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 20 schools with another 20,000 refugee children to be inducted into classes at other schools in due course.

The government sought on Thursday to reassure Church officials that it is serious in its commitment to engage in dialogue over changes to the way courses on religion are taught at school.

Greece will begin schooling some 1,500 children of refugees stuck in the country on October 10, the education ministry said on Wednesday.

"Schooling refugee children falls under Greece's international obligations," Education Minister Nikos Filis told a news conference.

The Greek government has backed down from its initial harsh stance regarding the teaching of the new religious studies book in schools, after a two-hour meeting between PM Alexis Tsipras and the head of the Greek Church, Ieronymos, Wednesday, resulted in the two sides finding common grounds of understanding on the matter.