For five days now, the building on Rue Joseph Claa in Saint-Gilles, where Greek School of Kestekideo from Brussels stands “silent”. A technical report sent to the Ministry of Education last week was enough to decide on its closure.

“Last Wednesday, we received an email from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, and through it we were informed about the closure of the school due to the danger of the building. Parents, students and teachers were surprised because this decision was made quite suddenly. From that moment on, we are overcome by anxiety about what will happen next, ”he tells K. Vassilis MirkopoulosPresident of the Association of Parents and Guardians of the Greek School in Brussels.

The next day, 159 students who attend school classes – from kindergarten to the 3rd lyceum – were “re-introduced” with distance learning. This has been described by parents and students as a “necessary” solution, but has returned from time to time, upsetting the balance of daily life and in some cases creating problems in family planning.

OUR Alexandros Lafsidis, who is in Brussels for his postdoctoral research at the Université Libre, has two children attending a Greek school, one in kindergarten and the other in the 1st high school. The introduction of distance education finds it an adversary. Another solution must be found immediately, he stresses.

“It is a given that children cannot receive the same quality education. Also, let’s not forget the negative impact that their long stay at home will have on their psychology, as it cuts them off from everyday communication with friends and classmates, especially after the end of a tough pandemic, ”says Mr. Lafsidis and adds. : “With this decision, we cannot go to work as we have to stay at home for the needs of the children. However, even if remote work is possible, having children at home and having to take care of them all the time makes it difficult to be effective.”

Expert opinion

Last autumn, a group of technical experts, commissioned by the leadership of the Ministry of Education, visited a purely Greek school in Brussels to conduct a necessary inspection of this ancient building, built over many decades. The conclusion was received by the ministry in mid-March.

“The opinion we got our hands on left some troubling comments and concerns about the safety of the building. We immediately sent a document to the training coordinator with a request to terminate it and start distance learning from the next day, ”says“ K ”. Alexandros Koptsis, General Secretary of the Ministry of Educationadding: “When we talk about the safety of children in schools, we don’t discuss or discuss them, even if they are implied or if they are of partial or even minimal doubt.”

Finding a temporary solution

During these days, Greek Community of Brussels is in full swing trying to find an immediate solution to accommodate 159 students. From the first moment, the Association of Parents and Guardians took action by sending out letters and starting contacts with all institutions.

“We contacted and met with the Greek Ambassador in Brussels, the Brussels Education Coordinating Office and the Church, and at the same time we also sent a letter to the Department of Homogeneous Education and Intercultural Education of the Ministry of Education, in which we even request the sending of an opinion,” says Mr. Mr Mirkopoulos.

“We are waiting for an immediate solution, either by refurbishing the old building – provided, of course, that the reported problems can be overcome with some intervention – or by renting or buying a new roof,” he adds.

However, at the moment, the case for the immediate repair of the school building is not on the horizon. The ministry is looking for some temporary solutions, at least until the summer, not excluding that these solutions will become permanent in some cases. The search is aimed at any available space with a Greek identity in Brussels that could be turned into a school hall.

“Efforts are being made in all directions. We are in touch with all institutions, with the community, the church, the mayor of Brussels, with the schools of the city, to find a suitable place. Both the Community and the Brussels Education Coordinating Office can provide such spaces,” says Mr Koptsis.

Already now, as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education assures in K, nine students of the 3rd grade of the lyceumwho are prioritized will be able either from today or at the latest from Wednesday to start their lessons in the room that will be allocated to them Greek embassy in Brussels.

“School work is key”

OUR Vassilis Mirkopoulosretains, he says, his doubts about whether his 13-year-old son, who attends 1st High School, will be able to start lessons soon, for life, and emphasizes the importance of opening a Greek school to a safe place that will all children together.

“For the Belgian Greeks, the activities of the school are of decisive importance. Children strictly follow the program of the Greek educational system and take part in national examinations for admission to higher educational institutions. Most students want to study in Greece no matter how long their family stays in Belgium,” he concludes.

History of the Greek School of Kestekide

The building that now houses the Greek School in Brussels was bought in 1913 To Leonida Kestekidis, founder of the famous chocolate factory “Leonidas”. In the 1970s, the businessman donated the building to the Holy Metropolis of Belgium for use as a school, and the Archdiocese, in turn, gave it to the Ministry of Education, which until 2010 used it as the department for the study of Greek (TEG). From then until today, it has functioned as a purely Greek school, continuing to receive students in the evening language courses. The children who attend the Greek school today come from families who moved to Brussels to work mainly in the services of the European Union, NATO or in the private sector.