Schools created to nurture talent are operating without the framework, funding and flexibility they require. In Sports Schools, a child can rank third nationwide in their sport and still be excluded. In the All-Day Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Learning Schools (OSDDM), students are selected by lottery despite a different procedure having been approved by the Council of Ministers. In Music Schools, children rehearse during breaks and weekends, sometimes with out-of-tune instruments.
These are not isolated incidents but part of the picture emerging from a report by Children's Rights Commissioner Elena Perikleous, based on the views of 155 children and 51 teachers.
Criteria change every year
At Sports Schools, admission criteria can change from one year to the next.
In sports such as judo, taekwondo and rowing, a third-place national finish is no longer sufficient for admission or continuation. Students are accepted only if they place first or second, provided there are at least six participants.
As a result, even a student already enrolled in the programme may lose his or her place the following year because the requirements have changed.
Two students with ADHD also faced removal after obtaining 14.8/20 and 14.6/20 respectively instead of the required 15/20. They ultimately remained in the programme on an exceptional basis following the intervention of the Commissioner.
Students who meet the criteria are expected to cope with 39 teaching periods, approximately 16 subjects and additional training sessions.
When absent for competitions, they are generally required to obtain notes themselves and make up missed work on their own.
After school come training sessions, gym work and, for many, private lessons.
"We study either late at night or in the car," one student told the Commissioner.
The report links fatigue to increased anxiety levels and a greater risk of injuries.
Lottery instead of committee selection
For the OSDDM schools, the Council of Ministers decided that students would be selected by a special committee following an examination of their file and a personal interview.
For the 2024-2025 school year, however, a lottery was used instead, without prior notification to parents or staff.
The Commissioner states that the procedure does not ensure transparency.
Children with a genuine interest in the programme may be excluded, while others may gain entry simply because their families require access to an all-day school.
The programme operates without a dedicated budget and without clear guidelines.
Families purchase materials themselves, teachers look for sponsors, and projects are altered because equipment is not available.
Robotics, which had been promised as part of the programme, is not being taught.
"It cannot be promoted so much when it does not actually happen," one student commented.
Leaking ceilings and out-of-tune instruments
"It's like we attend two schools," a Music School student said, describing the lack of coordination between the morning and afternoon programmes.
Teachers may schedule examinations the day after a concert, while students lose their break periods for rehearsals and sometimes do not even have time to eat.
The state subsidy for lunch is limited to €2.50, with parents covering the difference or students receiving reduced quantity and quality of food.
At one school, students eat in the yard.
At another, the dining hall has holes in the ceiling and fills with water when it rains.
Children also reported:
- Classrooms without soundproofing.
- Broken amplifiers.
- Out-of-tune pianos.
- Accordions described as being "in terrible condition".
According to the report, one student was forced to purchase a cello personally because the school failed to buy one.
For children from remote areas, long journeys present an additional burden.
Some students commute using two buses, while students reported cases of classmates who abandoned the programme altogether because of the distance.
