On Wednesday 14 October, the Pallini Municipal Council approved 111 permanent staff posts for its municipal nurseries, crèches and early-years centres. Twelve days earlier, on 2 October, the Spata–Artemida Municipal Committee had passed a similar resolution for our three centres, comprising 32 posts and one administrative post. The two figures differ both in size and in the way they were calculated.
How Pallini carried out its survey
According to the announcement by Pallini Municipality, the number of posts was determined ‘on the basis of the full capacity of the licensed municipal stations’, after deducting the permanent staff already in post. In other words, Pallini calculated how many staff its centres need to operate at full capacity, as permitted by their licences, and recommended the number of posts required to fill the shortfall. The vacancies are for nursery teachers and ‘other specialisms’. The announcement does not provide a breakdown by specialism or any figures on costs.
The Pallini Municipality website lists seven municipal bus stops: one in Anthousa, two in Gerakas, two in Pallini and two in Kantza.
How our local council fared
As we had reported, Municipal Committee Decision 618/2026 was based on the existing workforce. There are 18 permanent staff members working across the three stations. On 29 June, when the new Local Government Code came into force, there were also 30 contract staff employed through European programmes. The 32 posts correspond almost exactly to these: 12 nursery teachers, 8 nursery assistants, 3 cooks, 2 kitchen staff and 7 cleaning staff. The maximum estimated cost is 435,612 euros per year.
Our three centres are the 1st Spata Nursery and Pre-school, for 125 pre-schoolers and 24 infants, the 1st Artemida Nursery School, for 38 pre-schoolers, and the 2nd Artemida Nursery and Pre-school Centre, for 40 pre-schoolers and 20 infants. Their licence allows for an over-capacity of up to 10 per cent.
The comparison, subject to certain reservations
If the 111 posts are distributed amongst the seven stations on the list, this works out at around 16 new posts for each station in Pallini. In our own municipality, this works out at around 11. This is a rough comparison, as the stations are not all the same size and the number of permanent staff already working for Pallini has not been published. The real difference lies in the method. Pallini based its calculation on the capacity of its stations. The Municipality of Spata–Artemida based its calculation on the staff already in post.
Why it matters to parents
Neither of the two decisions adds places for children. The number of children a nursery can accommodate is determined by its operating licence, not by the Municipal Authority. At Artemida 42 infants, they were placed on the waiting list this year. The Municipality has announced that it is considering a new infant section at the 1st Artemida Nursery, whilst the project to bring the nurseries into line with Presidential Decree 99/2017 has been granted an extension. According to the regulations, an infant section for up to 12 infants requires two nursery teachers and one assistant. As the 32 posts currently cover the existing staff, a new section will require additional staff beyond these.
What’s next
The creation of posts does not constitute recruitment, neither at Pallini nor here. The posts will be filled in accordance with the procedure set out in the new Code, and current contract staff will not automatically be granted permanent status. Both local authorities made their decisions after 30 September, the date specified in the Ministry of the Interior’s circular regarding the amendment of the organisational structures. The amendment has yet to be published in the Government Gazette.
Source: Municipality of Pallini, announcement of 16 October 2026 regarding the Municipal Council’s decision of 14 October 2026; Municipality of Spata–Artemida, Municipal Committee Decision No. 618/2026 (meeting of 2 October 2026), Diafania, 12 October 2026.
