An 80-year-old retiree returned to school to finish his studies

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An amazing story happened in Greece. There, local resident Vasilis Panagiotoropoulos enrolled in evening school at the age of 80 to continue his studies, which he had abandoned almost 70 years ago.

Vasilis once dropped out of school due to financial problems in his family. He said that he left school at the age of 12 to help his father work in the fields. The family lived in a village in the Peloponnese.

“But in my heart I always wanted to return. This desire never left me,” Panagiotoropoulos shared.

Over the years, the man worked as a waiter, and then became the owner of a tavern, but at the age of 80 he told his wife that he wanted to get an education and entered a night school in Athens. He now studies in the same class with 15-year-olds and, according to the director, Evangelia Pateraki, is the best student in the class.

The pensioner’s favorite lessons are ancient Greek and mathematics.

“But there are facts that are a little confused in my head. For example, before I was not sure when the Byzantine Empire began or ended. “It's great to get answers,” Vasilis said.

Panagiotoropoulos' decision has resonated in Greek society. Demographers predict that the country's population will decline sharply over the next quarter century, and by 2050, about 35% of Greece's population will be over 65.