In her first statement regarding the death of the 13-year-old student in Piraeus , Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki spoke out while public opinion remains shocked by the tragedy involving the minor’s choking death amid allegations of understaffing and dangerous facilities. “My grief is very heavy, as both Minister and educator, for the loss of the young student, who, despite everything humanly possible being done, left us. Even greater is the grief of the teachers and specialists at the 2nd Special Primary School of Piraeus, who experienced the agony and saw their efforts to keep little Irini alive fail to succeed,” the Education Minister emphasized in her statement.
“I consider it everyone’s obligation, at this moment, to respect the family’s grief as well as the anxiety of other families who entrust their children to the State’s care. I must therefore refute any inaccuracy related to the operation of this specific school,” she stressed before clarifying the following, responding to allegations of understaffing:
“The school is fully staffed, with 25 educators of different specialties and members of special educational and special support personnel who cover the needs of 30 male and female students. All required specialties for a Special School are covered. Of the school’s 7 departments, 5 have 4 students each and 2 departments have 5 students each.”
Special school tragedy in Piraeus: Sofia Zacharaki’s full statement
“I express my sincere condolences to the family. When a child is lost, words become poor and worthless. However, it has value that everyone knows that everything that should have been done was done by everyone.
Next to the child were his teacher, the special support staff, and the school nurse. The school director immediately called not only EKAB but also doctors from the nearby Health Center, who rushed within minutes. The ambulance, with the assistance of the Hellenic Police, immediately transported the child to the Nikaia General State Hospital. There, the doctors took over, even though they were not on duty.
I consider it everyone’s obligation, at this moment, to respect the family’s grief as well as the anxiety of other families who entrust their children to the State’s care. I must therefore refute any inaccuracy related to the operation of this specific school.
The school is fully staffed, with 25 educators of different specialties and members of special educational and special support personnel who cover the needs of 30 male and female students.
All required specialties for a Special School are covered.
Of the school’s 7 departments, 5 have 4 students each and 2 departments have 5 students each.
Specifically, the school currently employs:
- 8 special education teachers
- 5 special support staff members
- 1 nurse
- 1 speech therapist
- 1 occupational therapist
- 1 physiotherapist
- 2 psychologists
- 1 social worker
- 1 special physical education teacher
- 1 special education music teacher
- 1 special education computer science teacher
- 1 special education arts teacher
- 1 special education drama teacher
With absolute respect for the child’s loss, we will support the school community, the children, the educators, the families“.
First images from the special school in Piraeus
A local worker who was at the scene described the mobilization response, emphasizing the speed with which services reacted. “They came very quickly, pity for the child,” he said characteristically, noting that police immediately closed the road to facilitate the ambulance. “The Police came very quickly, closed road traffic so the ambulance could move,” the worker reported. As he added, the ambulance entered the courtyard area to collect the child. “The ambulance went inside, from what I saw, and took the little child,” he stated.
He particularly emphasized the immediate response of the services, noting that “they cut off the road very quickly and moved correctly. And the ambulance came very quickly for the child.” He learned about the severity of the situation a little later. “We learned from people around who went and looked that the little child apparently lost consciousness and they took him quickly from the school,” he said, expressing his sorrow for the outcome. “Pity that I learned the child lost his life, pity for his parents, condolences.”
How the tragic incident occurred at the special school
The incident occurred at the 2nd Special Primary School of Piraeus. According to information provided to the Ministry of Education, the little girl appeared to be choking while eating her mid-morning snack. Special support staff, the teacher, and the school nurse were present and immediately provided first aid, while EKAB was called immediately.
The child reportedly died during transport to Nikaia General State Hospital. Some school teachers went to the Kaminia Police Station where the director and the teacher of the child who lost her life were located.
