The Ministry of the Interior is “responding” to the requests of mayors to increase the number of cleaning staff at kindergartens and elementary schools across the country.
At a press conference held by the Minister of the Interior Makis Voridis, announced that it is proceeding immediately with the payment of 5 million euros to local authorities to help them meet the increased needs resulting from the extended operating hours of the full-day schools.
The majority of mayors had pointed out that additional funding and cleaning staff were needed, as the number of employees hired to meet the needs was determined based on thedata from last school year.
«Extending the work hours,” local government officials noted, “means more maintenance—that is, more cleaning, and therefore more cleaning staff, more supplies, and more money. Those in charge should have foreseen this. The Ministry of the Interior provided municipalities with funding—in terms of both hours and money—to make these hires based on data from the 2021–22 school year. Now that school hours are being extended, they will need to take this into account as well, along with the COVID-19 health measures we will need to implement.
Local governments make hiring decisions
Additional financial support for municipalities through 5 million euros is forcing municipal authorities to decide whether to hire new staff or increase the hours of existing cleaning staff. The decision is entirely in “their own hands.”.
