Sit-in at 3rd-4th Junior High Schools

Just one week after the start of the school year, pupils started a sit-in at the 3rd-4th Junior High School, near Corfu Prison, on Wednesday morning. A small group of pupils are protesting that, although masks have been mandatory, distances are not being maintained in the classes.

There have already been two positive self tests - one at the 3rd Junior High and one at the 4th - and all the health protocols have been followed and the classes disinfected.

The pupils are also protesting that there are 24 pupils in the classes and are asking for a covering to be set up in the schoolyard so that they can go outside even when it's raining.

Corfu Secondary Education Department was informed of the sit-in and, as there are 500 pupils, the school principals were asked to leave in order to avoid any crowding outside the school building.

The principals attempted to hold a discussion with the pupils to find some kind of solution but to no avail. The 3rd Junior High principal Miltiades Melissas told Enimerosi that there will be no lessons today.

"10 pupils from the two schools started a sit-in today. They have put a padlock on the school entrance and aren't allowing anyone to come in. We asked if we could discuss the matter but they refused."

The classes all have 20-23 pupils apart from the French class, which has 24 and cannot be split up. The maximum allowed is 27 but in many cases the classrooms are too small for the number of pupils.

With regard to the covering in the schoolyard, steps have already been taken for Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands Municipality Technical Works Department to put one up.