Teachers, parents and students rally against sudden closure of dozens of middle school classes in Athens
On Friday, teachers, pupils and parents gathered at the District 4 secondary education office in Athens to protest the abrupt merging and shutdown of dozens of junior high school classes that had already started the term.
A massive mobilization of teachers, students and parents took place Friday at the offices of the District 4 Secondary Education Directorate in Athens, demanding the reversal of recent decisions to merge and eliminate dozens of junior high school sections. The unions argue that the cuts were announced only days after classes began, cancelling sections that had been approved in the summer and already staffed, thereby disrupting school planning.
Protesters claim the mergers will create oversized classes, impair personalized instruction and threaten teachers with redundancy, pushing them to seek positions at other schools. Union president Giorgos Gkrilis described the situation as a "slaughter" of educational needs, likening it to the worst austerity years. Police intervened during talks with the directorate, heightening tensions. The unions have scheduled another sit-in for Monday morning, insisting that no further closures occur and that all approved sections remain open.
Why it matters
The cuts threaten education quality for many students and job security for teachers in Athens.
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