Disclaimer: I am writing this post as a private citizen and parent. The views expressed here are not intended to represent those of the management of the School of European Education, the school’s Parents and Guardians Association, or any other body connected with the school. –MK
Heraklion’s School of European Education (SEE) is located in the old town, a stone’s throw from the seafront and close by the Koule fortress. It is a Type II European School, which follows the educational curriculum of Schola Europaea but is funded by the Greek government.
The school was founded in 2005 to cater to the educational needs of the children of employees of ENISA (the EU agency for network and information security) and other international organizations and diplomatic services based in Heraklion. The school also provides English language education to children whose parents are nationals of other EU member states and Greek language education to Greek children. The school is non-denominational and has a full range of classes from nursery to high school. Students study a broad-based European curriculum which incorporates second-language learning from first grade and third language from High School. Students take the European Baccalaureate at age of 18. The school’s staff, who come from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds, are highly qualified, experienced, and dedicated. They are passionate about teaching and determined to promote the ideals of European education, especially in these difficult times.
The ethos of the school is expressed by the words of Jean Monnet in 1953:
Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.
For the last two years, I have had the honour to be a teacher in the school, teaching the fifth grade of the English primary school. It has been a wonderful experience. My students came from across Europe (from the UK, Finland, Italy, Cyprus, Moldavia, Greece…), but they had a shared love of learning and an openness to other cultures, and all saw Greece as a second home. Together, we talked about our different customs and cultures, studied the French Revolution and the British Empire, read English literature from Shakespeare to Harper Lee, discussed ethical issues, bred silkworms, kept pet guinea pigs and hamsters, dissected an animal eye, started a class blog, made theatrical masks and costumes, created charcoal artwork on the school walls, visited local museums, and acted out dramatic scenes from plays and novels — all the while following a rich and well-balanced curriculum and learning about the ideals that inspired the founding of the European Union. Some of my former pupils have stayed at the school, others have moved on to other countries, but all, I believe, have been enriched and inspired by their experience at the school and have formed a deep love of Crete and Greece.
I have not only been a teacher at the SEE, but a parent too. My elder son has attended the school for four years, my younger son has just completed nursery there, and my daughter is due to start pre-nursery there this autumn. The boys have flourished in the school and formed friendships that extend across the continent. I honestly can’t think of a better school for them.
But the SEE isn’t important just for me and its teachers, parents, and students. I believe it is important for Heraklion, for Crete, for Greece — even for Europe. Its ideals represent the best of the European spirit – the spirit of a mutually supporting community, which respects the differences between nations but shares a common commitment to democracy, equality, and respect for human rights. It is a school where Scandanavian children sing Theodorakis, Greek children act Danish stories and learn French folk songs, and where all learn to respect each other and value the differences between them. The SEE cultivates precisely the outward-looking, optimistic, democratic outlook that Greece must adopt if it is to flourish within the EU and the wider world.
Economically, too, the school is important. Heraklion is home to many research institutions, including the University of Crete, FORTH, and HCMR, which attract visiting researchers from around the world, and the city has vibrant and outward-looking business and artistic communities, with worldwide connections. By providing high-quality English-language education at primary and secondary levels, the SEE helps to attract academics and other professionals to take up posts in Crete, strengthening and enriching the academic and cultural life of the island and of Greece as a whole. Without the school, it would be much harder to get leading professionals from outside Greece to move here with their families.
Yet as I write (27 September 2013) the school is not functioning. Two weeks after the official start of term, the PGA reports that only one teacher has been appointed for the Greek-language primary school, none for the English-language primary school, and six for the whole of the secondary school. A remaining twenty-five teaching appointments have not been made, even though the positions were advertised and application procedures completed weeks ago. Hardly any classes are running, my teaching colleagues and I are in limbo, uncertain whether we will be employed, and I and the other parents are deeply concerned for my children’s education. Protests have been made to the Ministry by ENISA and others, but so far without effect. Some parents have withdrawn their children from the school, and everyone is worried and uncertain.
Of course, these are difficult times for everyone in Greece, and we are not the only ones who are suffering. And of course I have a strong personal interest in the school. But the SEE is something special, something that should be celebrated, cherished, and supported — for everyone’s sake. If Greece is to be an outward-looking country, which attracts and welcomes people from around the world and celebrates its own history and culture without ignoring or diminishing those of other peoples, if it is to be a strong and vigorous part of Europe, if it is to produce a new generation of citizens with open minds and broad education, then it needs this school — and more like it. If the SEE closes, we won’t get it back, and we’ll all be much the poorer.
To give you a flavour of what is so special about the SEE, I have included below a video I made for Europe Day earlier this year, in which teachers, parents, and students talk (in Greek, English, French, and Italian) about what the school means to them.
If, like me, you believe the SEE is a precious asset, please do whatever you can to support it — for example, by spreading the word on social networks, contacting local or national politicians, or leaving a message of support in the comments below.
Thank you.
Update 28/09/13
The SEE Parents and Guardians Association has today circulated a message saying that the Minister has just signed off most of the teaching appointments and that classes should start early next week. This is, of course, excellent news, and gives me hope that the school will function normally this year. But I remain anxious about its long-term future, especially as many ENISA personnel have now moved to Athens. I myself remain fully committed to the school, and I renew my plea for those who believe in the school and its values to spread the word about this precious part of the Greek and European educational system.
Update 4/10/13
It is a week since I wrote my original post, and I am pleased to say that progress has been made. All SEE pupils are now able to attend school, in both English and Greek sections, though some teaching appointments are still pending and many classes are merged. However, we hope that the school will soon be functioning more or less normally. (I myself am teaching the English 3rd grade.)
I was also very pleased to read the following comment by Regional Education Director Apostolos Klinakis, which he made to the newspaper Nea Kriti:
I acknowledge and empathize with the parents’ anguish and truly find it unthinkable and shameful for Heraklion that a school of such calibre as the European School is not functioning in our city. (Source. Original in Greek; my translation)
I think this is something we can all agree on!
We shouldn’t be complacent, however. As Alison notes in her comment below, there was a feeling of euphoria when the English section opened on Wednesday, and we must build on this strength of feeling to help secure the long-term future of the school.
I will not add any more updates to this post, but I plan to make further posts about the SEE in the future. (Please see my request for contributions in the comments below.)
Some links
- The SEE website
- Facebook page for the European School of Heraklion
- The Greek Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs
- More examples of my students’ work, including Shakespearean performances, can be found on my Youtube channel.
I’d like to help, but I have no idea who would be useful to contact. Can you provide email addresses for some of the most useful? Better yet, any chance of an e-petition that I could help circulate? These are easy to create and I’d be happy to help. I’m not sure how useful it would be to just post this to my mostly US and UK fb feed.
I can only support what Maria wrote! I had my kids in this school during 5 years. It was amazing time for them. Teachers were great, content of EU curriculum is good, kids had lot of fun and were learning a lot not only about education but also also with this mixture of kids from various countries with different languages and cultures.
To my eyes, it is not only important to keep the school running, but even to make it grow and can accept more kids within more classes.
This is a wonderful school, I have three children there, my eldest is in 4th high school, middle in 3rd grade primary and youngest 1st grade primary, we have been with the school for the past 5 years and remain steadfast in our attendance. It is the only one of its kind in Greece and should be something to celebrate. Our children love the school, they love the teachers and this is something we should celebrate and fight for.
I’d like to congratulate all the teachers in this school for their exceptional work and I can only support their educational methods. it’s important to be fuctioned again and I’d would be happy help.
DON`T LET THE SCHOOL OF EUROPEAN EDUCATION SINK IN THE CRETAN SEA!
Two of my children had the luck to visit the SEE for one year and we really would have loved to stay longer but unfortunately couldn’t.
This school has to be kept alive – independent of ENISA! – and grow!
Me again, just wanted to give an update from this morning….
Today we attended our wonderful school for the first time this year, the governors finally signed off the majority of teacher and it was wonderful to witness the reception those teachers got. Many of those teachers – bar a couple – have been with the school for a long time and the children and parents greeted the ones they knew with open arms and hugs, this is not something you see every day. For the parents and students to be so openly honest about their feelings toward their educators in a positive and loving way is for me a rare sight. The teachers in return gave the same welcome to all. They are loved and respected and this should be celebrated. Our children are happy to go to this school. Of course there has been uncertainty once again with the people who hold the purse strings not signing the staff off till now but from what I have just tried to show this is a cause worth fighting for. Not only our children’s education, as that goes without saying, but where they are educated, in this one of a kind school (for Greece anyway) our European school, in these times especially, it is important to be proud not only of your own country and heritage but also to feel part of a European community. To quote partly once again ‘’ Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together.’’
We need to remain strong and fight for the future of this wonderful school.
I read that things are getting better, so happy new school year to everyone. Our two kids spent 6 and 4 years, respectively, at the SEE – one in the English section and one in the Greek section – until we moved abroad in 2012. They really enjoyed it at the European School. Last year, they settled smoothly into their new French school (even the one who never had any French at school!). I believe this is mostly down to the fact that they had received an open and international education at SEE. This school could be a real asset for Iraklio and an excellent “experiment” for the Greek teaching system. It is such a shame that in recent years it has become more and more of a struggle to make it work properly – especially at the beginning of the school year. It is to the credit of teachers, pupils and committed parents that that SEE has been a good school. Good luck to everyone.
Many thanks to everyone for their supportive comments, both here and elsewhere. It is really heartening to hear how much people value this school. I’ve added an update to my post above. I also want to compile a new post celebrating the school, using words and images from people who have worked, studied, or visited there. If you would like to be part of this, please email me your contribution. It could be a photograph, a scan of a piece of your child’s work, or a short reminiscence — anything that expresses the spirit of the SEE. Then I’ll put it all together into a post showcasing what this school means and what its students can achieve!
ΜΟΝΑΔΙΚΗ ΕΜΠΕΙΡΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΔΕΔΟΜΕΝΑ. ΟΙ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΟΙ ΑΝΟΙΞΑΝ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΕΣ ΣΤΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΜΑΣ.
ΟΜΩΣ, ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΕΝΑ ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑ: ΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΔΕΝ ΤΟ ΑΓΑΠΑΕΙ ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑ. ΕΜΕΙΣ ΑΓΑΠΗΣΑΜΕ ΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΟΛΟ ΤΟ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΣΩΠΙΚΟ
ΚΑΛΗ ΔΥΝΑΜΗ ΣΤΗ ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΡΕΙΑΣ…