The 1st Vocational School of Drama (1st EPAL) is located in the eastern part of Drama near the center of the town and gathers students from the wide area of the prefecture of Drama.

It was founded in 1962 as Technical School. Since 1968 it has been functioning in the current building, which is in 70 Andrianoupoleos Street.
In 1999, after the changes in the educational system, was changed and renamed Vocational School.
It is a two-storeyed building with 19 classrooms, laboratories for each field of knowledge provided, a library, two auditoriums and auxiliary spaces. There is a spacious schoolyard in front of the building, with a basketball and a volleyball court in it.
Our school principal is Mr Michalis Papazoglou and he cooperates with two Vice Principals Ms Eleni Fillipidou and Mr Giannis Kasmeridis . Their duties involve the smooth running of the school, the supervision of the teachers and the coordination of all school activities.

A number of teachers work at our school, specializing either in one of the fields or in general education subjects. Our students come from the broader area of Drama and the surrounding villages and most of them have to travel to and from school by bus covering long a distance

School starts at 8.25 in the morning and lessons finish at 14.15. There is remedial teaching for some students from 14.00 to 16.00 in the afternoon in the subjects they wish to enhance their knowledge on. The general education subjects included in the school curriculum are Modern Greek, History, Religion, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Physical Education and English as a Foreign language.

There are technological lessons (theoretical and laboratorial) in specific fields and specializations. The following subjects are taught in our school:

• Mechanical engineering
• Electronics
• Electrician courses
• Applied Arts
• Construction
• Vehicles

The assessment of students is based on oral and written tasks on the students’ overall participation as well as on the results of their achievements and performance in laboratory work, at school or at home. The school year is divided in two terms, one ending on 20 th January and the second at the end of May. The system of assessment also includes one revision examination in June. The final mark of each student is based on his/ her average mark from the two terms and the marks he gets in the written examinations at the end of each year.
Students participate in different kinds of projects (environmental, educationanal etc) and activities ( football team etc) and they have their own 15-member council to promote their rights and interests

 

In our school there is a number of migrants students, mostly coming from countries of the former Soviet Union and also economic immigrants from other Balkan countries such as Albania and Bulgaria. The percentage of immigrant students in our school is about 20%, since our prefecture borders with Bulgaria. Also there are many students that have been born in Germany by Greek parents, who emigrated to Germany for beeter professional prospects in the 60s and they have now come back. Furthermore students of gipsy origin attend our school.