The Kestekidion Greek school in Brussels – which has a kindergarten, as well as primary and secondary education – suddenly closed in mid-March, leaving the 159 pupils without a school building or solution for over two weeks now.
The building in the municipality of Saint-Gilles, in which the Greek school of Brussels has been housed since the 1970s, is managed by the Greek Education Ministry. In March 2023, a report based on an inspection carried out by technical experts from the Ministry of Education in October 2022 found that the safety standards were not met.
"We sent a letter to the Greek Education Ministry last October to ask about several problems, including a lack of teachers and problems with the building, but we never received a reply," Vasileios Katsardis, an elected member of the Greek Community of Brussels, told The Brussels Times.
While he did acknowledge that technical experts from the Greek authorities came to check the building, the decision to close down the school was only made in March 2023 – meaning the children and the staff had been in limbo for at least five months.
159 pupils without a classroom
"Without giving an official reason, they just announced that there were problems with the building and it needed to close," Katsardis said, adding that the Greek authorities offered neither a solution nor a timeline. 16 days after the school was closed down, no one in Brussels has been able to see the inspection report yet.
The 159 pupils – including children in kindergarten and primary school – now have to follow online education, as they did during the pandemic. "In practice, that means that the Ministry is saying parents should choose between staying at home, even if they cannot telework and leaving their young children home alone."
Especially for these younger children, Katsardis questioned what level of education they could get. "Do not misunderstand me: if the building is not safe, the children should not be going to that school. But we are just angry that they closed it without a solution for us."
The lack of information is another sore point for the Greek community, he said. "They did not give us an official reason for the closure, we do not know anything. Are all parts of the building unsafe, or only some? Should these parents be looking for another school if this is a long-term problem?"
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On Thursday, Katsardis learned that the Education Office of the Embassy is reportedly considering a building in the municipality of Evere that could serve as a solution until the end of the school year – but this has yet to be approved, both on the financial level and in terms of school requirements and regulations.
The Greek Embassy in Brussels, meanwhile, confirmed that it learned from the Education Office that an inspection of the building had taken place by Greek officials in October.
"The final report of this inspection came out in mid-March and it stated that there were a number of problems with the building. It had to be shut down immediately, because the safety of the pupils and workers is a priority for the Greek government," a spokesperson told The Brussels Times.
The Greek authorities are trying to find a temporary solution so the pupils have a school building again as soon as possible. "The Education Office is also working on a permanent solution. Talks and discussions are ongoing but it isn't easy: not just any building can serve as a school. It is hard to find one, especially in the middle of the year."
