Thus, in 1765, a higher school, "Academy", was founded in the monastery of Agia Marina, with money from the Symian Syngellos Georgaris and its residents. The school taught Greek literature, chemistry, physics, philosophy and everything modern that was brought from the universities of Europe, even hygiene. Essentially, it prepared students for the European Universities. The school was run by three Ephors (commissioners). The two were elected by the people for a three-year term, while the Protogeros presided over each time. The most literate one was the grammarian and treasurer. Among those who taught at the School were Michael Photiadis Markonis (born 1775), Nikandros Philadelphos Georgiadis (1793-1873) (student in Kydonies of Theoph. Kairis), hierodeacon Benedictos Rossios (Spiachios, born in Symi in 1760 and died on Mount Athos, on 28.5.1840) and Archimandrite Prokopios Dendrinos from Ithaca (died on 14.8.1848 on Mount Athos). The latter two coexisted in many places, from the time they were pensioners at the Athoniada School, with teacher Evgenios Voulgaris and in Kydonies. Benedict also taught at the Theological School of Chalkis, together with the hieromonk Bartholomew Koutloumousianos and Leontius, he wrote the “Easter Gospel”, the services “in Axion Estin” in 1838 and in “Agios Anargyros Pandas”, eulogies of Saints, etc. Several of these teachers also taught at other major schools in Greece, such as in Kydonias, Constantinople and Jerusalem. They therefore belonged to a circle of scholars of a pan-Hellenic level, with many acquaintances and in diplomatic circles in the West, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The library of the School, compiled by the Symian Sinaites George Makrotevion and the Protosyngelos Papa – Gregory Katsaras, had 798 volumes, of which 137 were donated by the Sinaites. Its students later studied at Italian Universities (Padua, Pavia, etc.), where they met other Greek scholars, such as Kapodistrias, etc.During the revolution of '21, the School was in great prosperity and was, among other things, an economic factor on the island. The "Common", borrowed large sums from it (up to 6,000 groscia), as did many traders, mainly "starters" of the sponge fishing, who obtained money with loan bonds at 12% to 15% per annum (low interest rate, the normal rate for the so-called sea loans was over 20%, because they were a great risk).
