Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis set a new target of more than 1,000 renovated schools across the country by the start of the next school year, speaking during a visit to the 2nd Primary School of Ano Liosia, near Athens, for the traditional blessing that marks the opening of the academic year.
He said Greece was approaching 700 renovated schools and that he hoped that, by the same time next year, the country would have passed 1,000. The pledge extends the "Marietta Giannakou" programme, a nationwide school renovation scheme named after the late Greek politician who served as education minister.
Renovation drive reaches 670 schools
The Ano Liosia school is one of 240 buildings renovated in the second phase of the programme, bringing the total number of school units that have received building upgrades and accessibility improvements to 670.
Mitsotakis was given a tour of the renovated building by the school's headteacher, Zacharoula Liakou. He walked through classrooms fitted with interactive whiteboards, new toilet facilities, and upgraded sports areas, including basketball and volleyball courts.
'You deserve the best,' PM tells pupils
Addressing the pupils afterwards, Mitsotakis stressed the quality and safety of school buildings, telling them they deserved the best: a fully renovated school that was accessible, attractive, safe and equipped with good sports facilities.
He wished pupils, parents and teachers a good school year and said he would return next year with even more renovated schools across the country.
Banks funded the renovation
The renovation of the Ano Liosia school was funded by donations from four Greek banks, Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank, as part of the Marietta Giannakou programme.
Giorgos Zanias, president of the Hellenic Bank Association, attended the ceremony. He said the school had been thoroughly, or "radically," renovated and wished pupils a good school year.
Prime minister also visits kindergarten
After leaving the primary school, Mitsotakis stopped at a neighbouring kindergarten, where he wished the young pupils and their teachers a good start to the school year.
UNESCO meeting and trip to Kastellorizo
Later the same day, at 11:00, Mitsotakis was due to meet Khaled El-Enany, the Director-General of UNESCO, the United Nations agency responsible for promoting education, science and culture worldwide.
In the afternoon, the prime minister was scheduled to depart for Kastellorizo, a small Greek island in the south-eastern Aegean Sea close to the Turkish coast.
