Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited this morning the 4th Junior High School of Aspropyrgos, which is now housed in a new state-of-the-art bioclimatic building. The construction of the new complex, which was financed through the “Antonis Tritsis” program, had been a longstanding request of the local community, as until last year the school’s approximately 270 students were attending classes in prefabricated facilities.
The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Theodoris Livanios, the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Sofia Zacharaki, and the Mayor of Aspropyrgos Giannis Ilias, was given a tour by the school’s Principal Evangelia Koulouriotou of the newly built facilities, where he had the opportunity to speak with teachers and students.
“It is a deliberate choice of the government to make use of all the funding tools at its disposal in order to proceed with a very large program of restoring school infrastructure and creating new schools throughout the country,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed.
The new facilities, which include a library, sports areas and a multipurpose hall, provide an upgraded learning environment for the children and a better working environment for their teachers.
Following is the Prime Minister’s full statement at the end of his visit: “It took 27 years, as the Principal said, for the Greek state to be able to build here in Aspropyrgos a state-of-the-art school to house children who until last year were in containers.
But today is a beautiful new day for Aspropyrgos, for the junior high school children who are enjoying this school, for the teachers, who see their own quality of work being upgraded as well.
It is a deliberate choice of the government to make use of all the funding tools at its disposal in order to proceed with a very large program of restoring school infrastructure and creating new schools throughout the country.
This school was financed from resources of the Ministry of the Interior—congratulations, Mr. Mayor—because you succeeded in delivering a complete school, in line with the expectations of both the teachers and the students.
And of course, on this occasion, I also want to reiterate the very great importance of the “Marietta Giannakou” program, which is being implemented throughout the country. A program of significant interventions in existing building infrastructure, which is financed by the Hellenic Bank Association. We hope that next year we will reach 1,000 schools where significant interventions will have been carried out.
We continue. This year has started, Madam Minister, well, with fewer vacancies, with better preparation.
But of course, Madam Principal, in your person I want to thank all the education staff, because no matter how good, beautiful, modern, complete and safe our building infrastructure may be, nothing can replace the role of our teachers, our professors, who with great dedication work hard every day to provide our children with the best possible education.
So, may the new school bring good fortune, and may it soon be the case throughout the country that all schools are like the Junior High School of Aspropyrgos that we visited today”.
The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Sofia Zacharaki stated on her part: “We are very happy to be here in Aspropyrgos, together with the education staff, and of course I also thank the Principal, as well as the teachers, because we started the year very smoothly.
Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Mayor, and of course the Ministry of the Interior as well, the “Antonis Tritsis” Program, because with a truly large amount we have a new school, and our children come with joy.
This is what we hope for the rest of the schools in Greece as well. The children of Greece deserve to have such a daily life, with spaces that truly match and keep pace with the high level of both education and their own effort. Have a good school year”.
“It is a great honor for us that the Prime Minister is here, to see this ‘jewel,’ this school that was built in our city. Thank you very much. It was in the “Antonis Tritsis” Program. It is a school that the area truly needs,” pointed out the Mayor of Aspropyrgos Giannis Ilias.
The school’s Principal, Evangelia Koulouriotou, noted: “After 27 years of being housed in containers, we have the joy and happiness, with the support of both the Mayor and the state, to be here, fully staffed, with full teaching personnel, in a state-of-the-art school, the ‘pride’ of our area. The children love it. It has changed the quality of life of our children, they see the school differently, they respect the educational process differently. It has changed our own daily life as well. Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Mayor.”