Greek Schools Closing Due To Lack Of Students

THE DECLINING commencement complaint successful Greece is – now much than ever – having tangible consequences: much than 750 schools crossed nan state will adjacent this world twelvemonth owed to a deficiency of students to capable them. Most of nan closures are affecting superior acquisition establishments, including kindergartens, and nan worrying inclination spans nan full country: agrarian areas, islands, and ample cities, including Athens.

For a schoolhouse successful Greece to beryllium suspended, it must person less than 15 students for 3 years. According to nan Greek Ministry of Education, 766 retired of nan 14,857 schools successful nan state will beryllium unopen down successful nan 2025-2026 world twelvemonth for failing to meet nan minimum request of student enrolment. This represents much than 5 per cent of nan country’s full schools. The number of suspended superior schools and kindergartens will scope 324 and 358, respectively. This is straight attributed to nan demographic diminution successful Greece, but could besides beryllium attributed to different main factors.

To beryllium exact, nan student organization has dropped by much than 150,000 students since nan 2018-2019 world year, for a full of 1.21 cardinal students successful nan state for nan 2025-2026 world year. 

The closures will unit Greek students, particularly those successful agrarian and distant areas, to recreation agelong distances conscionable to beryllium capable to spell to school. Much of nan time, they will moreover request to recreation up to 80 kilometres a time to and from nan nearest acquisition establishment.

But why is this happening?

The problem: a systemic look for declining commencement rates

The first and foremost logic for nan closures is nan nonstop demographic situation successful Greece, which has agelong affected nan population. Greece has 1 of nan lowest fertility rates successful nan European Union pinch astir 1.3 births per woman, acold beneath nan organization attraction complaint level of 2.1 births per woman. Because of this, Greece’s wide organization has been steadily declining for years.

Additionally, Greece faces spiking emigration, caused by nan country’s terrible economic situation stemming successful 2008. Greece’s young and knowledgeable organization was forced retired of nan state to activity caller opportunities, diminishing nan number of group successful their childbearing and moving years (in this case, betwixt 20-40 years of age), besides starring to a stark decline successful births.

Finally, societal information and healthcare systems successful Greece are strained arsenic a consequence of nan quickly aging population, arsenic nan number of group complete nan property of 65 increases.

These factors person each contributed to nan steep diminution of nan organization successful Greece, yet starring to nan terrible schoolhouse closures. Not only this, experts pass that this is not owed to alteration immoderate clip soon, arsenic nan demographic situation leaks into different areas of Greek society, notably nan economical sphere.

Greece, trailing acold down different EU countries

Compared to different European countries, nan diminution is much worrying. The Netherlands, whose organization stands astatine astir 17.5 cardinal people, served astir 1.47 cardinal students successful 2022, pinch an mean of astir 250 students per school. Through this lens, Greece has astir arsenic galore schools arsenic nan Netherlands, but serves half arsenic galore children.

The Greek authorities has made attempts to combat nan declining commencement rates by offering economical incentives for having children: astir €2,000-€2,400 for 1 child, and betwixt €2,500-€3,400 for 2 much children. However, galore Greek citizens are undergoing a authorities of deeply-rooted economical insecurity, which is not easy offset by mini financial incentives.

The bottommost line

Unless bold and patient action is taken to combat nan economical insecurity, corruption, and, of course, nan declining commencement complaint successful Greece, experts pass that nan closures will continue, and nan quiet desks and classrooms will everlastingly stay conscionable that: empty.