- The Teachers’ Federation of Greece (DOE) has formally advised primary school educators to avoid organizing long-distance school trips that require bus transportation.
- The federation points to a newly enacted Ministry of Education decision that introduces heavy red tape, forcing teachers to handle complex tender procedures, committee formations, and extensive reporting instead of focusing on teaching.
- The union also highlighted the high out-of-pocket costs for families—often €10 to €15 per student for local trips—which risk pricing lower-income children out of educational activities.
- The recommendation faces its first major hurdle during Panhellenic School Sports Day events, where many schools rely on bus transit to reach distant athletic facilities.
Primary school teachers across Greece are pushing back against new administrative hurdles by refusing to organize long-distance school trips. Following a recommendation from the Teachers’ Federation of Greece (DOE), educators are being urged to limit outings to walkable, nearby neighborhood walks until the Ministry of Education streamlines the organizing process.
According to DOE President Nikos Vourdoumpas, a ministerial decision enacted this year has buried teachers in unnecessary paperwork. Rather than focusing on pedagogy and student supervision, educators must now draft detailed minutes, solicit travel agency offers, establish destination committees, and file post-trip compliance reports with primary education directorates.
“The bureaucracy requires the teacher to do everything except deal with educating the children,” Vourdoumpas noted, stressing that the union does not want to scrap educational excursions permanently, but rather force the ministry to lift the administrative burden.
Beyond administrative headaches, the union highlighted the financial barrier that rising trip costs pose for families. With basic outings costing €10 to €15 per child, multi-child households face steep expenses that can exclude students.
The boycott faces an immediate test with School Sports Day events, traditionally held on September 25. Because many sports complexes are located far from school grounds and require bus travel, the directive puts administrators in a difficult spot as they balance sports mandates against union guidance. The union maintains its stance pending a formal response and simplification of rules from the Ministry of Education.