Η συμβολή της τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης στη δημόσια πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση στην Αθήνα από το 1833 έως το 1862
Authors: Μαραγκουδάκης Ελευθέριος 
Published: September 2021

The following thesis entitled “The Contribution of Local Government in Public Primary Education in Athens from 1833 to 1862” by Eleftherios Maragkoudakis explores the role and contribution of local government in the development of educational affairs within the Municipality of Athens during the King Otto reign. The time limits of the investigation were restricted to discrete turning points which involved not only the city of Athens but Greece in general. The starting point of this research is 1833 when, along with the beginning of the Ottoman period, Athens becomes capital of the the state, the primary education system is established, the local government is organised and the state educational secretariat involving ecclesiastical issues is founded. The research spans throughout the entire Ottoman period until the year 1862 wherein the political landscape in Greece changes.The thesis an attempt to highlight the actions of the local government related to education in conjunction with the institutional context and the socioeconomic level of the time. The research specializes in issues regarding the creation of logistics, the operation of primary schools and kindergartens in the Municipality of Athens, as well as the factors that influenced the choice of institutions in the Municipality of Athens in relation to the aforementioned.The thesis begins with a chronological table of the most important political, historical, social and educational events both generally and locally. In the end, the conclusive results and bibliography are cited.The introduction justifies the reasons for choosing the specific subject, presents the research questions, by highlighting the problem issue and target of the thesis. With the presentation of the research questions, there is reference to the historical method by which the matter under inquiry is approached and an attempt to interpret the research results .The chapters comprise four parts of the thesis:The chapters of the first part refer to the historical events of the period and the events associated with the development of the city of Athens.The chapters of the second part present the constitutional and administrative framework of the local government. It also presents the actions taken on behalf of the mayors and the municipal councils of the time.The chapters of the third part involve the administrative framework involving education which prevailed during this period by placing emphasis on the 1834 law “On Primary Schools”. Furthermore, reference is made to the innovations that influenced education in the following decades, such as the implementation of the peer teaching method. The first private schools which appear in Athens to meet the basic needs of the student population highlight the need to establish state funded schools. In the meanwhile, the course of private education during that same time is depicted. Moreover, the thesis presents the legal framework for the construction of school buildings, the materials used and the infrastructure of schools.The chapters of the fourth part investigate the administration and supervision of municipality funded schools on a local level, the responsibilities of governing bodies in conjunction with the existing legal framework, their members and their effectiveness. Furthermore, reference is made to the funding of schools and teachers in relation to the legislative framework and the capabilities of the local government. In conclusion, unionism is examined as a factor in shaping developments in educational issues.Research suggests that the economic potential of municipalities in general and of Athens in particular were not sufficient to meet the educational needs of the time. Regardless of the difficulties, mayors and municipal authorities of Athens surpassed themselves and any objective difficulties in order for public schools to operate, to increase in number and contribute to the effort for an intellectual and economic advancement of the Athenian society.This thesis is based on records and literature examined and presented according to principles of scientific methodology. Greek and translated foreign language literature is also used for this purpose.