Greek school directors protest new excursion safety regulations

School directors in Greece are protesting a new Ministerial Decision regarding school excursions and educational activities. The Panhellenic Scientific Association of Primary Education School Directors has requested the immediate withdrawal of a specific provision that shifts technical and safety responsibilities onto educators.

The controversial regulation requires the person in charge of an educational activity to verify the suitability of a venue. Critics argue that while teachers are pedagogically qualified, they lack the professional expertise of engineers, safety technicians, or health inspectors to certify structural integrity, fire safety, or hygienic standards of a facility.

MP Spyridon Tsironis has submitted the association's concerns to the Minister of Education, emphasizing that responsibility for facility licensing and safety inspections should remain with the operating entities and relevant state or local government authorities.