THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED WITH 41,000 VACANCIES! SCHOOLS HAVE OPENED, SOLUTIONS REMAIN CLOSED.
On the occasion of the beginning of the new school year, the North Dodecanese Regional Committee wishes students and teachers a successful academic year, recognizing this day as a moment of optimism and expectation for the entire educational community.
At the same time, we highlight the serious challenges facing public education – a cornerstone of equality, social cohesion, and progress.
The school year begins with shortages exceeding 41,000 vacancies in teaching staff. The recruitment of 37,000 substitute teachers, as announced, not only fails to meet actual needs but proves inadequate even according to the Ministry of Education’s own estimates.
After the first phase of recruitment (with 25,000 substitutes), at least 16,000 vacancies remain unfilled, leading to intolerable conditions in schools. Once again, teachers are called upon to carry out a titanic task without the necessary support.
The situation is particularly concerning in Preschool Education: according to the Substitute Kindergarten Teachers’ Association, less than 40% of actual vacancies were filled during the first phase. Classrooms with 25+ children have only one educator, despite international pedagogical standards setting the maximum at 15 children. In single-teacher kindergartens, the situation is critical, even endangering the physical safety of children.
In Special Education, only 1 in 4 approved applications for Parallel Support has been covered, despite the availability of European funding. At the same time, new regulations regarding Inclusion Classes effectively eliminate individualized educational support.
In Secondary Education, the coverage of essential subjects hovers around 60%, with schools in the Dodecanese and remote islands being hit the hardest.
Public education is not a luxury. It is the cornerstone of a democratic society and the foundation of social cohesion. Its practical support is a prerequisite for educational equality, so that every child – regardless of location or social background – has access to quality, free, and universal education.
The immediate filling of all vacancies and the substantial strengthening of public schools with the necessary increase in funding to reach the European average must be an immediate priority. Education cannot be the individual responsibility of families and teachers. It is, above all, the responsibility of the State.
Press Office
North Dodecanese Regional Committee
