The contribution of Metropolitan Gregory of Ireneopoulos and Vatopedi (19th century) to the education of Greek children in Antalya, Asia Minor

The education of the Greek children of Asia Minor, during the Turkish occupation until their uprooting, was undertaken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, through its Hierarchs, Priests and Monks, always in collaboration with the Greek Orthodox Communities. Consequently, the Metropolitan of Pisidia, Exarch of Side, Myra, Attalia had the general responsibility for the education of all the Communities of Pisidia, Lycia and Pamphylia. Therefore, what applied to Attalia also applied to all the other cities and villages.

That is why here we will give the floor to the most expert on this subject, Haris Sapountzakis (his father was from Sparta in Asia Minor and his mother from Antalya), Educationalist, School Counselor, President of the Sparta Association of Asia Minor and the Center for Asia Minor Culture. Haris Sapountzakis, during his in-depth presentation on the topic "Pedagogy - Education in the area of ​​the Metropolis of Pisidia" at the 2nd Symposium of the KE.MI.PO, among other things, said: "A precursory form of education for the years of Turkish rule, we will consider for the area of ​​the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia some form analogous to the Greek one, the so-called "secret school", with its animator the monk and its supervisory material the candlestick with the sandbox in some deserted chapels of the mountains, since the Christians, those who were not exterminated, had taken refuge in them, until it became apparent, after the first centuries of deep darkness, how necessary they were and they were gradually allowed to settle on the outskirts of the cities, in "ghettos".

The next step is for the late 18th century, around 1774, and after the Treaty of "Kyuchuk Kainartzis", the operation of the so-called "home" schools by the "literacy teachers", who of course taught the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic.

The first "Community Schools", that is, schools built by the Greek Orthodox Community and maintained exclusively by it, were established at the dawn of the 19th century and even before the Greek Revolution.

We specifically mention the establishment of such a school in 1810 in Sparta, by an enlightened teacher from the Peloponnese, Dionysios Moralis. It was precisely at this time that the role of teachers was taken on by

"Friendly" people in camouflage, who were sent not only to teach, but also to incite.

Before the Revolution of 21, the now normal, community school of Sparta began operating, its founder and sponsor being the Metropolitan of Irinoupolis, Gregory of Vatopedi, who dreamed of integrating a school along the lines of the Academy of Kydonia and the Evangelical School of Smyrna.

From 1830 onwards, the period of the so-called "Inter-educational" schools began (1830-1880).

All the cities and towns of the Metropolis of Pisidia began to establish mutual teaching or "Langasterian" schools (after the name of the English founder of the Langaster method).

The system was based on the need to serve things with the least possible staff and space.

For 100-120 children, one competent teacher was enough, who guided the older and smarter students - the so-called "primary schoolchildren" - so that they could become "assistant" and supervise their classmates in learning the material. It was, so to speak, an early form of the Greek "Single-seat" schools that even to this day operate in villages, with a completely limited number of students and of course without "primary schoolchildren".

This saves, as we said, money and space, which did not exist in those years:

Gradually, one teacher became two, who shared the classes. However, in reality, only one Primary School operated. It took several years for the "mutual teaching" schools to be replaced by the so-called "co-teaching" ones (each class and its own teacher).

Of course, developments were already favorable. After the "Hatti Humayun", the development of education was rapid.

Now schools, especially in cities where the Greek Orthodox element was strong (Sparta – Antalya – Vourdouri – Levisi) are organized according to the German model of the so-called "Urban School".

Under the same roof, a Primary School with 4-5 grades, a Junior High School or Primary School or Greek School with 2 grades, and a High School with 2-3 grades. In its full development, the School had 10 grades.

It was headed by the oldest or most gifted teacher, but the Elementary School had its own autonomy and its own principal.

In this case, the school was titled "Boys' School", since at least the first 5 grades were attended by only boys. Of course, the boys' school also required a school for girls. This was the "Girls' School" which was limited to the 4th-5th grade level. After that, the girls - those who had the qualifications - went to the boys' school.

The Greek Girls' School of Antalya.

The operation of Girls' Schools is of course also observed in Greece, but in Asia Minor it had its full development, emphasizing the progressiveness of the people of Asia Minor, when for those years so many girls went to school.

However, in the cities we mentioned above, during the boom years (1880-1920), there were also Kindergartens, whose main goal, beyond games, was to prepare toddlers to speak the Greek language, since it had to be taught as a foreign language, given the Turkish-speaking population and the ban on the public use of the Greek language.

The Community and the Church supported the schools financially, but the entire organization of the school administration at the level of finding resources, books, notebooks, supplies, but mainly finding and paying teachers, belonged to the body called

"School Tax Office" which was co-opted by prominent Greeks who had prestige and financial means, the so-called School Superintendents. They had to find ways to raise money (fundraising, awarding titles and distinctions, handicraft exhibitions, benefactions). Finding teachers was not an easy task.

The local communities always had few teachers and of course even fewer professors. When a spirit of competition intervened, teachers and professors were sought from the Greek area or from Smyrna and Constantinople with excellent studies. Of course, they were expensive, but the Community was proud that this way it had a great level in its schools.

Here, it should be noted the great work offered by the "Anatoli" Association in Athens, which undertook to train teachers, with scholarships mainly from areas that had problems with Turkish speakers.

Within a single year (1905), for example, "Anatoli", after having trained at the Athens Seminary, at Rizareio, at Arsakeio, at the Patmos Seminary, sent to the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia, as having successfully completed their studies, the following scholars:

• Eleftheriou from Makri,

• Rousakis from Antalya,

• Hekimoglou and Dimitriadis, from Sparta,

• Paraskevaidi, from Vourdouri.

The teachers:

• Tablatos from Makri,

• Iliadou from Vourdouri,

And the mayor:

• Loukas Economides from Alaya.

Schools operated morning and afternoon (4 hours in the morning – 2 in the afternoon) with holidays at Christmas, Easter and summer.

They had a detailed curriculum sent to them by the Patriarchate, but the capable teachers received the best in methods from Smyrna and Athens, thanks also to the great work in the field of the "Anatolis" Association, where the personality of Margaritis Evangelidis radiated.

The School Ephorate also managed the distribution of all the students' instructional material, but also supplied all the necessary instruments for teaching, in the Physics-Chemistry and Gymnastics departments.

The basic studies of the Primary school included the teaching of the Greek Language, Arithmetic, Geometry, Religious Studies, Geography, Natural History, Handicrafts, Gymnastics, and Music.

From the 4th grade, Turkish and French were taught. In the Gymnasium, the "Cyrus Anabasis", Diodorus Siculus, Lucian, Homer, Thucydides, Lysias were taught from the ancient Greek Literature. Greek and World History were taught and also Accounting, Agriculture, Modern Greek (Theotokis, Voulgaris, Korais, Trikoupis, Soutsos, Ragkavis).

For higher and higher schools, young people mainly went to Smyrna (Evangelical School with its Didaskaleio), Constantinople and, more rarely, Athens and Europe (Paris - Berlin).

"In the schools of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia region, great figures taught, at times, whose fame far exceeded the boundaries of their regions." This is what Mr. Sapountzakis mentioned in his presentation.

In particular, in Antalya, the Bishop of Patara Meletios, who for a time also served as Director of the Schools, and the great teacher Froso Tantalides, niece of the Metropolitan of Pisidia Gerasimos Tantalides, taught, among others.

In Antalya, the Schools that operated until 1922 were the following:

• The 8th grade Urban School for boys.

• 7th grade Girls' School for girls.

• The Urban School (Middle School).

• The One-Class School.

• And the mixed Kindergarten with two classes.

A Night School had operated for adults.

It is worth noting that these schools managed, within a short period of time, to ensure that Turkish-speaking Greek children did not speak Turkish at all at school, but only Greek.

source: Bishop Soterios Trampas – Metropolitan of Pisidia, Bright Stars – Perge – Side – Attalia of Asia Minor, To the Saints in His Land the Lord Has Marveled, § Attalia, §§ Education – Training, pp. 155-162, Holy Metropolis of Pisidia Exarchate of Side and Attalia 2010