Remote Greek island, empty classrooms signal a crisis across Europe

On the remote Greek island of Kalamos, empty desks are signaling a broader demographic crisis across Europe. Chryssa Ntalaka, the only teacher at the island’s last school, now teaches just two students, down from a decade ago when local schools and childcare had 40 children. On Sept. 23, sixth graders sat alone in a classroom with unused desks and shelves in the nearby kindergarten since it closed three years earlier. Authorities in Greece have closed 75 schools and suspended or extended suspensions at more than 400 others this year. The pattern mirrors other EU regions: as services vanish, young people leave, births fall and communities hollow out. Kalamos’ year-round population is about 80. For her school to remain open, Ntalaka said it would take two families to move in.