Corfu, October 30 – The Teachers’ Union of Corfu (ELME) is holding a protest this afternoon at the Directorate of Secondary Education (DDE) offices, calling for the reversal of class mergers and compressions that have been implemented in local schools. The protest is set to begin at 2 PM.
Union’s Core Demands
In its call to action, ELME stated: “The mergers will not pass! Immediate reduction in the number of students per class!” The union has outlined specific demands that it expects educational authorities to address without delay.
According to the official announcement published on Wednesday, October 29, ELME is urging immediate action on several fronts. The union demands that all class mergers and compressions be reversed, and that the initial proposals submitted by individual schools be upheld.
– Schools know better than anyone else what their needs are. The original proposals from the schools themselves should be honored, – the union said in its announcement.
Specific Requirements Outlined
ELME has presented a detailed list of requirements to the educational authorities:
Approval of all classes: The union insists that all proposed classroom sections be approved without reductions or mergers.
Acceptance of division requests: All school requests for class divisions, including dichotomies and trichotomies based on pedagogical criteria, should be granted.
Protection for students with special needs: ELME calls for the implementation and revision of laws that protect students with special learning needs.
The union described the current situation as an “anti-educational crime” that threatens the quality of education provided to students in Corfu.
Escalation of Mobilization Planned
ELME announced that it will step up its mobilizations in the coming period, targeting both the Directorate of Secondary Education in Corfu and the Regional Directorate of Education for the Ionian Islands. The union aims to prevent what it describes as harm to students’ educational rights.
The teachers’ organization has also called on other stakeholders to join the effort. Parents’ associations, parent unions, 15-member school committees, and trade unions from both the public and private sectors have been invited to organize their own protests and coordinate actions with educational unions.
– We call on parents’ associations, parent unions, 15-member committees, and trade unions from the public and private sectors to organize their effort and, together with educational unions, fight against the violation of students’ educational rights, – the announcement stated.
Recent Protest Activity
This is not the first protest organized by ELME on this issue. The union has been holding a series of demonstrations in recent weeks. On October 23, ELME and the Parents’ Union held what was described as a massive protest at the Regional Directorate of Education for the Ionian Islands.
Previous protests were also held on October 21 and 22, indicating a sustained campaign by the teachers’ union against the class merger policy. The repeated mobilizations suggest growing frustration among educators over decisions made by educational authorities.
Opposition to Cost-Cutting Logic
ELME has framed the issue as a clash between educational quality and financial considerations. The union insists that students’ educational rights should not be sacrificed for budgetary reasons.
– We will not allow students’ educational rights to be sacrificed to the logic of cost! We do not negotiate our students’ educational rights – immediate filling of all vacancies, – the union declared in capital letters at the end of its announcement.
The reference to filling vacancies suggests that staffing shortages may be contributing to pressure to merge classes, a practice that typically increases the number of students per teacher.
Broader Educational Concerns
The protest reflects wider concerns about educational policy in Greece. Class sizes have long been a contentious issue, with teachers arguing that larger classes make it harder to provide individualized attention to students, especially those with special learning needs.
Educational unions across Greece have consistently argued for smaller class sizes, citing pedagogical research showing that reduced student-to-teacher ratios improve learning outcomes. The current dispute in Corfu appears to be part of this ongoing national debate.
The involvement of parents’ organizations in the protests shows that concerns about class mergers extend beyond the teaching community. Parents have expressed concern that their children’s education may suffer if classes become overcrowded due to administrative consolidation.
Today’s Demonstration
The protest scheduled for this afternoon at 2 PM at the Directorate of Secondary Education in Corfu marks the latest escalation in ELME’s campaign. The union has not disclosed how many participants it expects, but previous demonstrations have been described as drawing significant turnout.
The location of the protest, directly at the offices of the educational authority responsible for implementing the class mergers, signals ELME’s intention to bring its message straight to decision-makers.
As of this report, neither the Directorate of Secondary Education of Corfu nor the Regional Directorate of Education for the Ionian Islands has issued a public response to ELME’s demands or commented on the planned protest.
The outcome of today’s demonstration, and whether it will lead to any changes in educational policy on class mergers, remains to be seen. ELME has made it clear that it intends to continue its mobilization efforts until its demands are met.
Source: https://www.corfupress.com/2025/%CE%BA%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1/%CE%BA%CF%85%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CF%83%CF%85%CE%B3%CF%87%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%8D%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82-%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BD-%CE%B8%CE%B1-%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%83%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BD-3/
