Education in Kefalonia, one of Greece’s largest islands, reflects the challenges faced by the Greek educational system as a whole, with its unique peculiarities. From the lack of infrastructure and the administrative responsibilities of educators to the operation of special education and the community's support for educational activities, the island emerges as a place of great potential that continues to wrestle with long-standing systemic issues.
Through the testimonies of teachers and substitute educators, we paint a picture of the state of education on the island, shedding light on daily challenges and pressing needs.
Kefalonia in Search of... School Buildings
One of the most significant issues affecting education in Kefalonia is the lack of adequate school buildings. The earthquakes of 2014 caused extensive damage, leaving behind schools housed in containers and buildings that were repaired years later but remain insufficient.
Ms. Phoebe Rizou, a philologist with 20 years of teaching experience in Kefalonia, describes the case of the General Lyceum of Lixouri: "This school, originally built in the 1980s, was satisfactory in its basic structure but always had issues. After the 2014 earthquake, the building was deemed repairable but unsafe, and students were taught in container classrooms until the original building was repaired. After 8.5 years of waiting and despite efforts from the local community and the teaching staff to construct a modern school, we only managed to return to the old, repaired building, which remains inadequate. There are severe problems with space and functionality. For instance, we lack sheltered areas for rainy days, there's no library, and although the gym was recently repaired, the auditorium cannot accommodate all students. These issues are not unique to us but stem from a broader neglect of education.”
The situation worsens with the co-housing of different school units , such as the High school and Junior High School of Lixouri . Ms. Rizou comments, “Two schools essentially operate within the same building, with classrooms overlapping. This creates problems with noise and coordination.”
Meanwhile, the Music Gymnasium of Lixouri, legislated in 2019, has yet to materialize. “The lack of a suitable building is the main obstacle,” explains Ms. Rizou. “The proposed building, the historic Valenti estate, is insufficient to house the structure. It’s now the fifth year that Kefalonia has a music school only on paper. There is an urgent need for a modern school complex in Lixouri to ease the overcrowding and allow for the creation of the music school,” she adds. The problem is not confined to Lixouri alone. “In Agia Thekli, the Gymnasium operated in an old elementary school building for 10.5 years before returning to its renovated facilities,” she notes.
Ms. Rizou also points out issues in other schools: “Even the modern and recently built Pharaoh complex housing the 1st and 2nd Lyceums of Argostoli has design flaws, with large hallways and small classrooms. These are excellent buildings but not as functional as they should be.”
Meanwhile, Christos, a 30-year-old substitute special education math teacher who worked in a container school in Kefalonia during 2023-2024, brings a more optimistic perspective. “I worked at the 2nd Gymnasium of Argostoli, which was in containers due to the 2014 earthquake. However, the school was fully equipped with computers, projectors, interactive boards, and everything we needed. I also worked at the 1st Gymnasium of Argostoli, which was older and in moderate condition. The main issue there was the lack of air conditioning, which makes teaching difficult. The harsh truth is that modern schools in Greece are few,” he says. He also emphasizes that “despite the appearance of the container school, exceptional work was being done by the teachers, so the students didn’t feel the infrastructural deficiencies.”
In some cases, the schools’ material adequacy is notable, as in the case of the kindergarten in Mesovounia. However, changes to the funding process might affect this. Ms. Eleni Paximada, a 26-year-old substitute kindergarten teacher and head of the Mesovounia kindergarten, explains: “Last year, through school committees, we had significant funding sources and could meet our needs. For example, we got air conditioning. Now, kindergartens are under municipal jurisdiction, which doesn’t have the same financial capacity. This new process means that the municipality must mediate for addressing needs, which could be detrimental in the long run. For instance, if we need to replace locks, we must approach the municipality and wait.”
Teachers in the Role of… Secretaries
Teachers in Kefalonia—and across Greece—often take on administrative duties that should ideally be handled by specialized staff.
“We teachers are forced to undertake administrative tasks, and these responsibilities have been increasing uncontrollably, growing significantly year by year. We have no secretarial support, not even a guard. In other words, we are required to handle the practical upkeep of the premises as well. Unfortunately, there is no school nurse, so colleagues with more knowledge in this area end up acting as makeshift doctors. Sadly, we are forced to play multiple roles, which may seem honorable and commendable, but it is extremely tiring and exhausting, and it is neither morally nor financially rewarded,” emphasizes Ms. Rizou.
Ms. Paximada shares a similar experience, stating that, "Essentially, I have two professions: teaching and administration. I truly work more hours than I am contracted for. I am required to be at school from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, but I work additional hours due to my administrative responsibilities. My administrative duties include, among other things, managing the facilities, overseeing students, and coordinating the educational staff." She further explains, "Many times, I feel so exhausted from the administrative work that it affects my teaching duties."
A similar issue is noted by Christos, a substitute mathematics teacher, who states, "Bureaucracy was a significant problem. Teachers lose valuable time that could otherwise be spent on activities with the children. A school operates under the typical bureaucracy of the public sector. Since there are no secretaries, the teacher is expected to do this work."
Special Education: A System Making Progress but Still Incomplete
Special education in Kefalonia has made significant progress, yet there are still gaps. "Having worked for the first time in an integration department in Kefalonia, I can say that special education here is quite advanced. Every school is staffed with two special education teachers, and there is an Interdisciplinary Support Committee (ISC). Special education on the island is developing rapidly. Almost all Gymnasiums in Kefalonia, except one, have ZEP (Educational Priority Zones) classes for non-native speakers who do not know the language. All the other Gymnasiums have integration departments, and every primary school I knew of had one too," explains Christos, a substitute mathematics teacher in special education.
However, such structures are missing in high schools. Ms. Rizou points out that special education should be meaningfully integrated into Lyceums. "The number of students with learning difficulties is increasing, but the system leaves them behind. In Lyceums, education becomes solely focused on preparation for national exams, neglecting other aspects of learning," she emphasizes.
Challenges Faced by Substitute Teachers
Substitute teachers in Kefalonia experience significant difficulties associated with working in remote areas. "The biggest problem is housing; it wasn’t easy to find a place, but I was lucky," notes Christos. "There was a colleague who found accommodation after about 20 days, due to high rents," he adds.
"Most homes are rented out seasonally, forcing many colleagues to move out by May, even though their work ends in late June," highlights Ms. Rizou.
Another major challenge faced by substitute teachers on the island is the need for frequent and lengthy commutes. Specifically, Ms. Zoe Moschopoulou, a substitute English teacher working across the 1st and 2nd Kindergartens of Lixouri, the Kindergarten of Agia Thekli, and the Kindergarten of Mesovounia, describes the difficulty: "This year, I work in four kindergartens. It’s relatively manageable this year because the distances are small, about 20 minutes between each kindergarten. In other years, it took up to 40 minutes to travel from one kindergarten to another."
The state provides an allowance for travel expenses, but as Ms. Moschopoulou notes, this is not always sufficient and is often paid with delays of up to a year.
Community Support for Education
Despite the challenges, the local community in Kefalonia actively supports education. "Parents are readily available to help whenever needed. Since the community is small, we have a good relationship with parents and receive immediate assistance from them. There is no anonymity like in a city," notes Ms. Paximada.
In fact, "at a primary school in Chionata, a parent personally bought a carpet for the classroom," shares Dimitra Kokkinopoulou, a kindergarten teacher in Erissos, highlighting the strong collaboration between educators and parents. "Especially in more remote areas, parents feel a sense of responsibility toward us for coming here, and they try to help and meet the existing needs," she explains.
It is worth noting that in Erissos—and other areas of Kefalonia—many Albanian families reside. "One challenge we face in the region is the language barrier, as most families are of Albanian origin. Therefore, these children come to school without knowing the Greek language," says Ms. Paximada. She further explains, "It’s essential to recognize that parents need to accept that their children will attend a Greek school and not expect us, as educators, to teach Greek. Greek must be developed at home alongside Albanian.
Our role is not teaching Greek. There is a special ZEP program (Educational Priority Zone) in primary schools that should be expanded further. The ministry has not adequately planned for this."Regarding this, Ms. Kokkinopoulou adds, "Parents from Albania show great respect toward teachers, and their children are calm and respectful of their educators."
Solutions for Improving the Educational Landscape
Improving education in Kefalonia requires coordinated actions across multiple levels, as described by the island’s educators through their testimonies.
More Staff
The lack of psychologists, social workers, and special education teachers is a gap that needs immediate attention. "There is no support within the system for psychologists or social workers, neither for students nor for teachers. Some primary and secondary schools have visiting psychologists, whose role is very important but often insufficient in terms of addressing the needs of a school. The visiting psychologist cannot integrate into the social fabric of the school, understand its dynamics, or focus on students who might need help. Instead, they are often reduced to a visitor dealing with cases of advanced issues referred to them by the system. A psychologist should be a permanent part of a cohesive team, capable of addressing smaller issues and supporting a balanced school environment," emphasizes Ms. Rizou . She also stresses the urgent need for a modern new school complex in Lixouri to alleviate current overcrowding and infrastructure problems.
Ms. Moschopoulou expresses a similar view, arguing that enhancing support for educators is crucial, both financially and in terms of infrastructure and staffing for preschool education. "Children are the foundation of society, and anything we can do for them is important," she says. She also highlights the need for a change in attitude regarding the integration of new subjects, such as English, into kindergarten curricula: "We need to stop fearing that adding English might disrupt the kindergarten program. Kindergarten teachers should view it more positively." Combined support, both in terms of material resources and changing perceptions, could significantly boost the effectiveness of kindergartens in Kefalonia.
Building on these points, there is also a need for substantial support for substitute teachers, who face severe housing and commuting challenges. These issues affect both their financial situation and their ability to deliver quality education.
Overall, the educational system faces numerous outdated interpretations of effective and beneficial education. "It is important to stop viewing Lyceums solely as spaces for preparing for national exams. Students need support not only to succeed in exams but also to acquire skills that will help them in life," comments Ms. Rizou. Ms. Kokkinopoulou adds, "The fundamental problems lie in the broader educational system. For example, it is unacceptable for one teacher to manage a classroom of 25 students. When we identify learning difficulties, the process only begins the following year, as it takes time to assess the situation, gather the necessary documents, and obtain approval for additional support. Understaffing is the most significant issue."
Despite these challenges, Kefalonia’s educators continue to work with dedication, striving to fill the gaps left by the system. They take on multiple roles while the local community stands as a strong ally, with parents showing tangible support—especially evident in the island’s smaller communities.
However, the need for change is urgent. From building new school complexes and improving existing ones to increasing staffing, adequately supporting substitute teachers, and reducing bureaucracy, Kefalonia requires a comprehensive educational reform plan. The sincere dedication of educators, combined with the backing of the local community, offers hope for a better future.
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