The Greek School of Ireland
In this article, part of our series which explores various Heritage Language schools in Ireland we get to know the Greek School (part of the Hellenic Community of Ireland [H.C.I]) based in Dublin. To learn more about the Greek school we hear from Stella Xenopoulou the founder and now director of the school. Stella decided to establish the Greek school over 25 years ago when she became a mother and has been involved ever since.
The students who attend the school range from 3 to 80 years old! The school runs classes every day of the week, and each class runs for a minimum of two hours each week. The benefit for students attending the school is that they continue to maintain their Greek language and culture while living in Ireland. Secondary school students who also attend the school have the opportunity to choose Greek as a subject for their Leaving Certificate.
Stella shares her most memorable story where the School once had a Pakistani girl who arrived in Ireland via Greece where she had lived for 5 years. She could not choose any other language for her Leaving Certificate, and she asked us if we could support her so we gave her private lessons free of charge.
The Greek School makes a difference as it provides equal opportunities to children who moved to Ireland at an older age and may have no other foreign language. It provides them with an opportunity to sit the Greek language exam for the Leaving Certificate. It also provides a microenvironment for Greek people and people interested in Greek culture to meet, exchange ideas and support each other.
There is also a great number of Irish people who want to move to Greece or spend a lot of time there and therefore want to learn the Greek language and understand the culture, which is where we can help!
The goal of the community and school is to reach as many people as possible who are interested in Greek language and culture etc. The real dream is for the school and community to have a space that they own!
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