Today marks the first day of school here in Greece, and it’s been an emotional one for our family. Both of my daughters, Phaedra (14) and Melina (6) are off to school, and the house is finally quiet. After a long summer break spent between the beach and family time, it feels surreal to have this peace and space to get back to work.
Melina has just started primary school, transitioning from kindergarten. These milestones always tug at my heart, especially seeing her take this big step. Like many parents, my wife and I have mixed emotions—pride and a bit of sadness as our kids grow up too quickly.
Both of my daughters are going through the Greek public education system. While the system isn’t perfect, we’ve had good experiences with both public and private kindergartens. Ultimately, it’s the teacher who makes all the difference. Melina had a great experience in private kindergarten, but now she’s fully immersed in the public school system.
For expat families considering moving to Greece, international schools are an option, offering different curricula like British or American systems. However, we chose to have our daughters grow up and learn within the Greek system. I believe it’s important for them to experience the culture and education that comes with it.
One challenge to be aware of in Greece is the frequency of public school strikes. For families like ours, working from home offers flexibility when these occur, but for others, it can be difficult to navigate.
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