The 12th Primary school of Patras (12th PrSch) is only five minutes away from the centre of Patras which is the third biggest city of Greece. The city’s port connects Greece with the rest of Europe while it simultaneously serves as a bridge and link between people and merchandise.
Our school is located across the premises of the port, in the wider area of Patras, and has a potential of 100 students.
After a strong earthquake in 2007 the building that housed the old school was found inappropriate and was therefore taken down. Ever since that year, the students have moved to the building mentioned above and they are transported by bus on a daily basis.
Our school operates as a full-day school in a city that exhibits great differences as far as the infrastructure for people with disabilities is concerned, especially in the suburbs. However, our school is provided with special ramps for those people something that makes the building easily accessible to everyone. The school has also got a computer lab which is unfortunately equipped with very old computers. There is only one laptop but there is not an interactive whiteboard in our school.
Since it is situated in an urban area of Patras where families of various economic, cultural and social backgrounds live, as well as many refugees, our school’s culture is one of integration and acceptance of all children regardless of their nationality or religious beliefs. The educational level of our students’ families varies from highly educated to almost illiterate. There are some pupils from underprivileged, practically poor or single-parent families attending our school but most of the students come from a different region of Patras called “Psila Alonia” which is well-known for its high educational and economic level. This is actually the most distinctive feature of our school.
The main vision of our school is to integrate all the different cultures and to foster our students’ learning, regardless of their socio-economic background. We aim at cultivating soft skills such as collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. Bringing our students in contact with Robotics and Engineering is also our goal since these fields are part of a highly qualitative education. We pursue innovation and the use of New Technologies as well as the instillation of empathy, citizenship and inclusion in our students, so as to provide the citizens of tomorrow with all the necessary qualifications and equal opportunities. All these are intended to be achieved in an environment of safety and joy because we are well aware that no goal can be attained without trust in the teacher or without the children’s desire to come to school.
Through the school curriculum and focused programs we seek to enhance innovation, creativity and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Moreover, one of our most important goals is to raise the students’ environmental awareness and inculcate in them the sense of belonging and citizenship. Cooperation and assistance from the local community is being attempted and a strong emphasis is placed on the individual offer example.
The teachers that work in the 12th primary school are highly qualified while they never lack the desire for continuous training and applying innovative methods of teaching. The majority of them handle New Technologies efficiently and include them in their everyday pedagogical and teaching practice. They have specialized skills in learning areas such as critical thinking, innovation and creative writing while they stay focused on the learning process of each student and their personal progress. They work taking into account “the community of practice” and therefore, share a common vision, common goals and actions for the school community.
https://blogs.sch.gr/12dimpat/