Unbelievable! Ten days after the school bell rang for the new school year and some students have no class room or bench to sit or even a blackboard. In the 2nd High Scool of Gouves, near Herakleio on the island of Crete, the class room moved outdoors due to absence of space and authorities failure to catch up with the increasing number of students.
The students sit outside in the yard or under the pine trees and try to make themselves comfortable on some benches standing in the yard or just on the hard concrete.
At least, three class rooms are needed to offer a safe space to the students and teachers.
How could this happen? There is no official explanation.
But the future is not as grim as it looks.
Aid is coming from the mainland, from the city of Agrinion in Western Greece that is sending containers (rolling school classes) so that students and teachers will have a roof over their head and be protected from sun, rain and hail.
State ERT TV reported that the containers will arrive within the next 20 days.
Local media report though that the municipality has promised to students’ parents that until the containers will come, they try to find temporary class rooms in a neighboring high school in the premises on an old US military base.
The students threaten to occupy the school.
Municipalities have the responsible for the construction and the maintenance of the school buildings and not the Education Ministry that is responsible for providing personnel, books and material.
But I suppose, construction of schools is in cooperation with the ministry.
PS Apparently, local authorities failed to cope with the austerity changes of recent years that led to closure of schools and/or to merging with others.
