Teachers' Strike in Kythera - Protest on 23 October

On 23 October 2024, the Teachers' Association of the Primary School of Chora-Karvounades Kythera goes on strike and mobilisation, with a rally at the Square of Chora Kythira on 11:30 a.m.. The protest is part of the nationwide demands of teachers, joining their voices with their colleagues across the country, demanding better working conditions and improvements in the education system.

Key Demands of Teachers:

1. Increases in wages - With the return of the 13th and 14th salary, teachers are demanding decent pay in line with their work and modern needs.
2. Abolition of the categorisation of schools and pupils - The teachers demand an end to arbitrary categorisations and disciplinary sanctions imposed by the central administration. They stress that imposing disciplinary action on the basis of vague criteria hurts teaching and the dignity of teachers.
3. Covering all vacancies by appointments - Teachers demand equal rights for their permanent and substitute colleagues, as well as better conditions for raising children, asking for 9 months of parental leave for substitutes as well. In addition, they demand the recruitment of teachers in time before the start of the school year.
4. Suspension of mergers of departments - Under the slogan «Reduction in the number of pupils per class», teachers oppose decisions to merge classes, which lead to a larger number of students per class, burdening the educational process and degrading the quality of education.
5. Money for education and health - Teachers demand safe school buildings, as well as an immediate increase in funding for education, stressing that schools and teachers cannot offer their work under conditions of constant underfunding.

Escalation of the Mobilisations

The October 23rd strike comes as a response to the Ministry of Education's decisions on cuts and reorganizations in the school system. Teachers in Kythera, as in other regions of the country, are facing the pressure of the policy of departmental mergers and understaffing of schools, which puts a strain on the quality of the educational process. At the same time, the underfunding of schools creates serious problems in the maintenance of school buildings and the provision of adequate facilities for pupils.

With this mobilization, the teachers of Kythera call on the local community to stand in solidarity with their struggle, underlining that their demands are for the benefit of the public school and the quality of education that children receive.

With departmental mergers and delayed recruitment continuing, public schools are in danger of losing momentum. If there is no immediate response to teachers' demands, the mobilisations are likely to escalate, creating further problems for the education system and ultimately affecting the students themselves.