The students of the 99th Kindergarten of Athens, which operates in the Ano Patisia neighborhood, are left in a precarious situation. The lease on the building has expired and the property owners are threatening eviction. Since there is no available building in the area to house the kindergarten, it is very likely that children will be asked to attend schools far from their neighborhood.

The head of the Primary Education Directorate of Athens District A, Evangelos Nebogleriоtis, in a letter dated March 16, 2026, was unambiguous: since no suitable property had been found to house the 99th Kindergarten, the current building on Teo Street 56 would not be available for the next school year.

At the same time, serious problems are observed in most school buildings. Infrastructure maintenance is typically carried out “after the fact,” making attendance problematic or even dangerous for students’ safety.

Student Slips in Schoolyard and Sprains Her Ankle

It was not long ago, about two months, that a student was injured in the schoolyard of the building housing the 27th and 30th Primary Schools of Athens. As parents reported, a fourth-grade student at the 27th Primary School was injured during recess while simply walking in the schoolyard. The girl tripped and fell at the basketball court due to the worn and deteriorated surface. After a hospital visit, she was diagnosed with a sprained ankle.

The parents of students attending the two primary schools have repeatedly contacted the relevant municipal services. They noted that the incident fully confirmed their concerns, which they had raised and warned about on multiple occasions, regarding the main schoolyard area where all students spend their breaks and exercise daily. They added that the superficial repairs carried out had not solved the problem, and that students continue to be exposed to danger every day.

A Building for 250 Students Now Houses 400

Parents of children attending the 24th Gymnasium and Lyceum, located in the Polygono neighborhood, are also sounding the alarm. In a letter to the relevant municipal authorities dated February 15, 2026, they stated that for more than three decades the two schools have been sharing a building under conditions that not only fail to support the educational process but actively endanger students. They pointed out that common sense alone makes it clear that housing two schools with 400 students in a building designed for 250 is not feasible without negative consequences for school operations, and above all for the safety of staff, teachers, and students.

They also noted that in order to fit 400 children into the school, alterations had been made to the building that compromised even its passive fire protection, as one of the main emergency exits had been eliminated.

Classes Held in Corridors and “Cage” Classrooms

Parents report that over the past two years, the list of problems at these schools has continued to grow. Beyond the above, they allege that “cage” classrooms have been created by partitioning original rooms with plasterboard, and that auxiliary spaces above the indoor gymnasium have been repurposed as teaching rooms. They also note that classes are being held in corridors in front of stairwells and elevators, where there is no adequate heating.

City of Athens: No School Will Close

These complaints were presented at the Athens City Council during its most recent session by municipal councillor Haris Vourdoubas, elected on the Popular Rally ticket (the faction supported by the Communist Party of Greece). Speaking specifically about the problem at the 99th Kindergarten, he said: “In our time, no school will close.” He explained that two tenders had been issued but both were declared unsuccessful, leading to the letter from the Primary Education Directorate stating that the building would not be available for the next school year. More broadly, he commented that municipalities do not receive the necessary funding for the work they need to carry out on school buildings, and that while municipal councillors are right to raise criticism, they should equally criticize the fact that the money is simply not being allocated.