Nearly 5,000 substitute teachers will be hired on short-term contracts to fill in for teachers absent because of coronavirus infections, the Greek Education Ministry said on Monday.
Specifically, the ministry said it will hire 3,576 substitute teachers on three-month contracts and 1,208 staff on contracts running to the end of the academic year. The latter include substitutes in general, as well as psychologists, social workers and teacher support staff.
In a statement, Education Minister Niki Kerameus praised students, parents and school staff for observing the health protocols faithfully on Monday, the first day of schools following the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
She added that 1.6 million obligatory rapid tests by students and teachers in 24 hours "allowed the timely identification of nearly 16,000 possible infections, their isolation, and the prevention of further viral dispersal in the education sector and society at large."