Page 30 of 46 Education: Education was free, compulsory, and universal through the secondary level. Children of asylum seekers, most of whom resided in closed controlled-access facilities and Reception and Identification Centers, had insufficient access to formal education. The number of refugee and migrant children who remained out of school was relatively small compared with previous years, but retention and regular attendance remained problems. Additionally, teachers often lacked expertise and tools to help children from different backgrounds. Local officials often excluded Romani pupils from schools or sent them to Roma-only segregated schools. Some members of the Muslim minority in Thrace said the quality of minority school education was inferior, citing the absence of bilingual (Greek-Turkish) middle and high schools. Child Abuse: The law prohibited corporal punishment and child abuse. Authorities effectively enforced the law for reported cases. Smile of the Child, an NGO operating a children’s crisis hotline, said it reported at least two incidents of child physical abuse to authorities per day. The government provided treatment, prevention programs, and foster care or accommodation in shelters for abused and neglected children. Government-run institutions were understaffed, and NGOs reported insufficient space to cover all needs. On March 10, parliament passed antibullying legislation mandating the provision of guidance to schools on reporting and handling bullying. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor