greece-introduces-online-school-for-remote-islands
GREEK NEWS

Greece Introduces Online School for Remote Islands

Greek flag
Greek flag
Children on Greece’s remote islands will have access to online schools Credit: Bongo Vongo, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

Starting in September, Greece will introduce online schools for students on certain remote islands so they won’t be forced to relocate to continue their education.

This innovative approach will begin on the tiny island of Gavdos in September and will expand to the island of Arkoi in September 2025.

Arkoi belongs to the Dodecanese archipelago and is close to the Turkish West coast.

It might sound simple in this day and age, but it’s not. Many Greek children and adolescents have had to relocate in the past along with their families when it was time to go to high school.

This year, for the first time, they will get to stay in their hometown, as the “Autonomes Taxeis” initiative, which translates as “Autonomous Classrooms” is set to begin on the island of Gavdos, south of Crete.

The new law, which was voted on recently by the Greek Parliament, stipulates that this new system could be used in any remote area of the country, either mountainous or on an island, based on the needs of each area.

Students from Greece’s remote islands had to relocate to go to school

As we all know, Greece has approximately 2,000 islands and islets, with 200 being inhabited. As can be understood, this number includes tiny islands and islets with few residents and even fewer children.

Two examples of this are the islands of Gavdos and Arkoi. Gavdos has less than 150 permanent residents and Arkoi is inhabited permanently by approximately 40 people.

The sheer fact that these two islands have such small populations makes the operation of schools a herculean task.

Firstly, not many teachers want to relocate and work permanently on such tiny islands with limited infrastructure and means. Secondly, sometimes the island population itself has aged so much that there are hardly any children left.

This harsh reality has led Greece to adopt new technologies to assist these communities in the nation’s most remote areas.

The shape of the new remote school

Starting this September 11th, traditionally the day Greek students go back to school after their summer holidays, the island of Gavdos will benefit from the new system.

A total of three secondary teachers will be located on the island permanently to provide face-to-face lessons on the core subjects to the students.

The remaining subjects on the curriculum will be covered by specific-subject teachers who are located elsewhere in the country and are tasked with offering online lessons to the students of Gavdos.

Critics say government trying to save money

Despite the obvious benefits of this new system, critics in Greece say that remote islands need full-time schools regardless of the number of students there.

It is widely accepted that children need full socialization in the school environment, so critics suggest that only a few hours of face-to-face lessons will not be enough.

Regardless of the validity of this argument, the fact that students won’t have to relocate to another island or to the mainland, however, is a big step in the right direction.

Related posts

The Awe-Inspiring Helmet of Ancient Greek Warrior Miltiades

timesadmin

Venomous Box Jellyfish With 24 Eyes Discovered in Hong Kong

timesadmin

Mitsotakis Reshuffles Greek Cabinet After Disappointing Result in EU Election

James Rollner

Ancient Eleutherna on Crete Reveals Story of the Dawn of Greek Civilization

timesadmin

Mitsotakis Raises North Macedonia Provocations at NATO Summit

James Rollner

Bactrian Gold Findings Show Ancient Greek Presence in Asia Predated Alexander

timesadmin