Galery

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The Hellenic Ministry of Education is proceeding to withdraw the History of Art textbook for the 12^th grade, which speaks of the "transferring" rather than the stealing of the Parthenon marbles by Lord Elgin.

The question has been raised by SYRIZA MP Thasos Kourakis who stresses, "It is unacceptable for students to study that the marble sculptures were "transferred" and not forcibly torn off from the monument."

In relation to the question raised by the MP, Minister of Education Andreas Loverdos said, "This is a terrifying wording. This textbook was released in 2003. I have issued an order to the Institute for Educational Policy to immediately send to the competent department of the Ministry of Education a proposal with instructions to the teachers of History of Art in the 12^th grade so that they can provide correct information to the students. Furthermore, the textbook will be withdrawn as early as the next school year."

Deputy Minister of Education Alexandros Dermentzopoulos in turn stressed that the wording of the history of the Parthenon marbles distorts historical reality, because it just mentions the transfer of the sculptures to England, without emphasizing that they were stolen.

The History of Art textbook was approved in early 2000, when the subject was included in the curriculum as an optional course.