The image of Greece and Hellenism as presented in the two main series of manuals for Greek diaspora pupils

M.A.The school constitutes the main institution, to which modernsocieties assign the systematic socialization of each new generation. Indubitably the school handbook constitutes the basic tool in this process, as it is the main means of teaching and its use is more frequent than all the other means. In particular the books that are used for the teaching of the Greek language to Greek children abroad (outside mainland Greece) function, with their content and with their appearance, as ambassadors of Greece abroad. The analysis and evaluation of these books provide important information on the ideology, the cultural identity, the culture and the total experiences of learning by the scholars. Recognizing, therefore, the role, the big value and also the power that school handbooks have, in the molding and the behaviour of young scholars, I truly consider my Post-graduate work, interesting. It has as its subject: "The image of Greece and hellenism as presented in the two main series of manuals for Greek diaspora pupils", both of which are used for the teaching of the Greek language to Greek children abroad". The series "I LEARN GREEK" constitutes a production made possible through the collaboration of the Pedagogical Institute of Greece and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.It was published in 1993 and it is addressed to scholars aged 6 to 14 years, who are taught the Greek language in various types of schools in the USA. In practice, however, Greek schools worldwide use the series. The series "THINGS AND LETTERS" is a production of the University of Crete. It was first published on an experimental basis in 1999 and is addressed to Greek children of the Diaspora. The purpose of the present postgraduate study was to seek out how Greece and Hellenism are presented in the contents of the above-mentioned series of instruction material. The question that occupied me was whether the particular series of books accomplished, through the teaching of the language, the transfer to young scholars of 571 elements of Geography, Greek history, of Greek culture, Greek tradition, cultural heritage, orthodoxy, daily reality of modern Greece. The final aim was to find the messages that the scholars receive and the picture that forms in their minds of Greece and Hellenism on finishing their schooling and having being taught Greek with either series even if they have never visited Greece. The first part of my work constitutes the theoretical part of my study and is constituted of two chapters. The first chapter is an introductory study whilst the second refers to Greek migration and the Diaspora and later to the Greek speaking education abroad. Reference is made to the aims, the forms, the institutions, and the means of support of Greek education abroad and includes a historical review of the implementation of Greek-speaking education as organized from Greece. In this chapter also mention is made of the Greek School abroad, the teaching personnel, the student population, the role of the parents and local Greek Communities. Special reference is made, naturally, to Greek-speaking education in South Africa. The second part of my work consists of tables and statistical charts totaling, roughly 350 pages. Here there is a record of all references that are contained in the series "I LEARN GREEK" and "THINGS AND LETTERS" that have connection or relation with Greece and Hellenism and are classified in eight (8) broad categories. The categories are: Greece as a holiday destination Religion Cultural identity Hellenism abroad (Outside Greece) Geography Modern Greec