Page 26 - Fikardou_ebook

Village Layout House of Katsinioros House of Achillea Dimitri Petrou kai Pavlou Church Yiannakos Tavern Old School The old Wine Press

The Old School

The unused village school stands on a rise across from the church. It is stone-built,
approximately 40m2, and 3 meters in height. The roof is traditional and rises in a
conical shape over a meter from the inner roof of the building. The entrance of the

school was in the east. Inside, the teacher’s desk was situated in front of the black-
board on the west side, and 7 wooden student desks, each with three seats, were fac-
ing the blackboard. The school was built by the residents and operated for the first
time in the school term 1925-1926. This event is attested by the white stone above
its unique entrance, where the date 1926 is written as well as the names of those
who contributed to its construction. At that time, Fikardou had 123 inhabitants and

the first students were 27 of mixed gender, ranging from six to fourteen years old.
The teaching material survives, and it reveals a curriculum in grammar, geography,
mathematics, history, physics, mythology, gymnastics, music, and dance. It also re-

veals the detailed monitoring of each student’s progress. After 1927 the school was
limited to elementary education with a single-digit number of students which later
reaches 25. The student number fluctuated gradually until the closing of the school at
the end of the 1960s. The original 1926 student register also features a record of each
student’s father’s occupation, ranging from winemaker, to shepherd, to mason, to field
guard, to carpenter, to violinist and quarryman. Shortly before 2005, the school suf-

fered serious damage. The Community Council in cooperation with the Department
of Antiquities made important restoration work. Today the school hosts presenta-
tions, speakers, lectures and used periodically for experiential handicraft workshops.

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