Schools See Sharp 14.5% Drop in Student Numbers

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Eastern Thessaloniki’s public primary schools have recorded a 14.48% decline in student numbers over the past five years, with enrolments falling from 25,871 in the 2021-22 school year to 22,125 in 2026-27.

The figures, drawn from the MySchool information system, cover 131 public general primary schools under the Directorate of Primary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki and show a loss of 3,746 students since 2021.

The decline has remained steady, with student numbers falling by between 2.3% and 3.6% each year. The trend also affects most schools: 110 of the 131 schools now have fewer students than they did five years ago.

On average, each school has lost around 29 students. Only a small number of schools have recorded increases, largely because of local changes such as adjustments to school catchment boundaries or changes in school accommodation, rather than an increase in the number of children living in the wider area.

The decline mainly affects the lower grades. Students who enter primary school together generally remain similar in number as they progress through to the sixth grade.

Changing family patterns reshape school enrolments

The distribution of students appears to reflect where younger families now choose to live.

In central Thessaloniki, fewer young couples are settling in the area, a trend reflected in lower school enrolments. By contrast, construction and residential development in the Thermi area are attracting new families, leading local schools to welcome more children.

The Directorate of Primary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki presented the figures during an information event and press conference held on Monday afternoon at the Tower of the School of Education of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).

The event marked World Teachers’ Day, which takes place each year on October 5, and was attended by Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Nikolaos Papaioannou and Deputy Minister of Interior for Macedonia and Thrace Konstantinos Gkiouslekas.

Papaioannou: Teachers are educators, guides and motivators

Papaioannou highlighted the wider role teachers play in shaping young people and society.

“World Teachers’ Day, celebrated every year on October 5, provides an important opportunity to recognise the decisive role teachers play in shaping the new generation and, consequently, our society,” he said, thanking teachers for their work.

He stressed that teachers do more than transmit knowledge.

“Inside the classroom, they do not simply teach their subject. They cultivate curiosity, encourage effort, open new paths of thought and help children discover their abilities,” Papaioannou said.

He added that teachers often identify skills and talents that students themselves have yet to recognise, while their behaviour, words and example help instil values and shape young people’s personalities.

Gkiouslekas: Teachers help create better citizens

Gkiouslekas also focused on the educational and social role of teachers, arguing that society should not view them simply as professionals.

“Woe to us if we see the teacher only as a professional,” he said, while stressing that teachers should receive appropriate pay and have opportunities to improve their professional position.

He said primary school teachers have the particular privilege of working with children from a young age and helping shape them not only into knowledgeable future workers, but, above all, into better citizens.

Gkiouslekas also shared his experience as a parent, thanking teachers who had taught his own child.

He recalled how his child would return from school carrying not only a schoolbag but also questions and ideas that surprised the family, attributing that development to the teachers.

Regional Director of Education for Central Macedonia Alexandros Koptsis said the value of teachers could not be measured on a single day.

“The value of teachers is measured every day when the school door opens, when the books open in the morning and, together with them, the teacher opens a window to the future,” he said.

Koptsis also highlighted the importance of teachers at a time when artificial intelligence has entered everyday life, arguing that technology cannot replace a teacher’s personal presence, empathy and care for students.

From learning to knowledge and from knowledge to life

Director of Primary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki Evangelos Kelesidis presented new initiatives aimed at highlighting teachers’ work and contribution.

He said the event sought to honour teachers who work every day to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to grow into well-rounded individuals.

The event adopted the motto “From learning to knowledge and from knowledge to life”, which Kelesidis said reflected the goal of preparing complete and well-rounded people rather than simply ensuring students perform well academically.

The Directorate also presented research into the social standing of teachers and professional burnout.

Kelesidis said the research found that professional burnout exists among teachers, but parents continue to recognise their role at a very high level.

He also presented the “Repository of Positive Parent Experiences”, which brings together 33 selected, verbatim accounts from parents across seven areas: emotional security; inclusion and special educational needs; support during health issues and bereavement; the educational climate; innovative teaching practices; school-family cooperation; and messages of recognition.

Schools prepare students for the age of AI

Kelesidis said the Directorate has also taken a leading role in teacher-training programmes focused on artificial intelligence.

As AI becomes part of everyday life, he said, teachers need training that will allow them to help students use AI tools in an ethically responsible and scientifically safe way.

Asked about school violence, Kelesidis said primary schools recorded 28 reports of incidents on the school violence platform last year, compared with 31 the previous year.

“For us, it is very important at this point to work preventively,” he said.

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