Amphipagiton Junior High School yard still a construction site

Corfu ELME (Teachers' Union) was informed by the teachers' union of Amphipagiton Andreas Kalvos Junior High School about a serious building issue that arose at the end of June and has not yet been resolved.

Starting from June 23rd, renovation work began in the schoolyard in order to address problems that had accumulated over the years, rendering the yard highly dysfunctional, especially during rainy periods when it would fill with water, making it impossible to access the classrooms.

During these works, the schoolyard, which also serves Agios Nikolaos Church, was excavated and iron and planks were placed to prepare it for cementing. The external walls of the school were demolished, and the main entrance gate was removed. Due to the ongoing construction and to prevent potential accidents, a sign was placed by the authorities prohibiting entry to the construction site due to danger. However, two days after the start of the works, the work above ground ceased as there was no permit from the archaeological service.

The school, as is required, has informed the relevant authorities in writing twice (Secondary Education Directorate, Regional Education Directorate, North Corfu Municipality Technical Services, Corfu Metropolis and Corfu Antiquities Inspectorate), but there has been no response and the work has not progressed. Meanwhile, the schoolyard has been transformed into a rubbish dump and has already fallen victim to vandalism.

The school has to open on 1 September and operate normally, conducting upgrading and graduation exams.

For its smooth and safe operation, the restoration of the yard is necessary, along with the reconstruction of the walls with their fences and the installation of the iron gate. Also, the communal water fountains need to be rebuilt and operational because there cannot be no access to water. Additionally, a thorough and comprehensive cleaning of the classrooms and all spaces is needed, as well as the reinstallation of the technological equipment (screens, interactive whiteboards, computers, etc.), which at the end of the school year (June 2023) needed to be moved to the main administration building and the teachers' office, due to the lack of safety in the classrooms as the windows of two rooms couldn't be closed, and have yet to be replaced.

Will the school be able to operate on September 1st? Will teachers enter the premises at their own risk while a sign warns of danger? Who guarantees the safety of the pupils, guardians and educators on the premises? Will the school be able to function normally and safely on September 11th?

It is at the very least unacceptable for the last school in Northwestern Greece to be unable to function properly and unable to provide the requisite safety for its pupils and educators.

As educators, this treatment towards Amphipagiton Andreas Kalvos Junior High School, the local community, the pupils and our colleagues does not do us credit.

We demand that the Education Directorate and every relevant authority take action without further delay in order to make the school operational.

However, in the event that the delay continues, we request from the Secondary Education Directorate to provide clear written instructions to colleagues regarding whether or not they should enter the school on September 1st, considering that aside from the upgrading exams, it is necessary to also conduct the graduation exams so that pupils can enrol in higher secondary education or vocational schools.

The full and exclusive responsibility for the safe operation of the school and the timely start of the new school year lies with the Administration and cannot be shifted to the educators at the school.

All the involved bodies constitute services of the same 'executive' state and should find a way to coordinate and IMMEDIATELY resolve the issue that has arisen. Public education, healthcare, public resources, water supply, electricity should be the top priority for both local and central administration.

Additionally, the Municipality of North Corfu must provide explanations for not installing new windows, despite a year having passed since the contract was signed with the contractor for this specific project. In May, both the Mayor and the President of the Municipal Education Committee gave assurances to ELME regarding the replacement of the windows as well as covering the repair needs of the schools in the Municipality of North Corfu.

Attached are photographs depicting in detail the condition of the schoolyard at Amphipagiton Andreas Kalvos Junior High School on Sunday, August 20, 2023.