Seven years after Athens City Council approved the creation of the city’s first special secondary school for children on the autism spectrum and with intellectual disabilities, the promised building remains nothing more than a plan on paper.
The school was meant to be build in Ampelokipoi, a central neighborhood of Athens, offering students a chance to continue their education close to home. Instead, families have spent years waiting and watching their children travel hours each day to attend overcrowded schools in neighboring municipalities.
A daily battle for education
For many parents, the situation has become unbearable. Children who finished special primary schools within the city must now wake up before dawn to reach schools miles away. Some even commute approximately four hours very day.
“The issue has been left unresolved for years,” says Dimitra Katsimani, mother of a student at a special primary school in central Athens. “These children need stability, structure, and specialized support — not exhausting daily commutes.”
In Greece, students on the autism spectrum who cannot follow a mainstream academic curriculum continue their education in EEEeK, which stands for Laboratory for Special Vocational Education, in essence state-run schools that combine vocational training with life skills. But Athens remains one of the few European capitals without such a facility within its core city limits.
Overcrowded schools, growing needs
The absence of a local school has placed heavy pressure on nearby EEEeK facilities. In Agios Dimitrios, a building designed for 150 students now accommodates about 250, while in Aigaleo, a school built for 90 serves around 125. Parents estimate that between 150 and 200 of these students are residents of Athens.
This overcrowding, they say, has forced schools to abandon the small-group model that special education depends on. Instead of four to seven students per class, some groups now reach 15, creating conditions that strain teachers and compromise student safety.
Promises without progress
Officials from both the municipality and the state agency responsible for public buildings say the school will eventually be built when funding becomes available. The projected cost is several million euros, and no timeline has been announced.
City representatives also admit that a temporary site has not been found. “We’ve been looking for a suitable building, but there’s nothing available that meets the needs of these students,” one official told To Vima.
Overcrowded classrooms and growing needs
The absence of a local school has added pressure on existing facilities, where classes designed for six or seven students now hold double that number. Parents say the overcrowding compromises both safety and quality of education.
They also point to rising demand: in recent years, special kindergartens and primary schools in Athens have seen their student populations triple. Yet as these children grow older, there is nowhere in the city for them to continue their studies.
“A shameful situation”
Families describe the lack of action as “shameful” and “deeply disappointing.”
“The message this sends is that the education of children with autism depends on luck and goodwill,” says Katsimani. “It shouldn’t be that way. Inclusion should be a right, not someone doing us a favor.”
Still waiting
Parents’ associations are now preparing to bring the matter formally back before the City Council, demanding either a temporary facility or immediate progress on construction.
For now, though, Athens’ long-promised school for autistic children remains a ghost project — and the city’s most vulnerable students continue to pay the price, one long commute at a time.
