The first professional high school, which will operate within Frontist shop of LarissaIt is established by a ministerial decision signed by the Minister of Education, Religions and Sports, Sofia Zacharakis, the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Athanasios Petralias and the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection, Ioannis Lambropoulos.

As he informed the Ministry of Educationthis is the 8th Professional High School of Larissa that will operate organized in a prison for adults in Greece, thereby meeting the needs of the prison population.

“We are putting another stone in the overall effort made by the relevant ministries in order for education to be the spearhead of a modern -day prison policy,” the Minister of Education said.

OR Sofia Zacharaki He pointed out that it is “an essential step towards enhancing educational equality and social reintegration” and added: “Education is a highest human right and can exclude anyone. By providing prisoners access to structured and quality vocational education, we give real opportunities for personal development, reintegration and a new way of life after their sentence. We provide them with the “social passport” for the next day. Education is not a privilege, it is the foundation of hope and progress. “

According to information from the Ministry of Education, this initiative is part of a policy on equal access to education, even under enclosure, with the aim of strengthening prisoners and facilitating their social and professional reintegration.

“The new school unit creates conditions for continuing after high school education, which has not been possible to date. Graduates of the 2nd School of Second Opportunity of Larissa, which has been operating in the correctional store since 2004, have remained without an organized outlet for secondary education. The possibilities were limited to fragmentary or distance solutions, without teachers, without class, without infrastructure. The result was the inability of the prisoners to gain recognized qualifications and to gain hope for a change of course, “the Ministry of Education said.

According to the announcement, with the establishment of the 8th EPAL, the prison shop acquires a complete educational chain, extending from primary and secondary general education, to vocational training. The school will operate within the detention facility, with a regular curriculum and officially recognized titles. Prisoners thus gain access to vocational training, organized learning and a context that enhances self -esteem and life prospects after release.

As noted, the 8th EPAL of Larissa is the result of a long effort. Since 2015, the then Director of the 2nd School of Second Opportunity of Larissa, George Trantas, today’s Director of Educational Units of the Prison Store, has worked systematically to form the conditions that will allow the establishment of an organized high school in the prison. Law 4763/2020 paved the way for the establishment of such structures, while the local and regional support secured along the way proved to be critical.

“The Ministry of Education, Religions and Sports treats education in prisons not as an auxiliary policy, but as an organic part of an educational system that respects human rights and invests in social cohesion. Any prisoner who completes a curriculum, every person who acquires knowledge and skills within the detention area, enhances the chances of reintegration, moves away from the vicious cycle of relapse and is strengthened as a citizen, “the statement concludes.