Leaders of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn have announced plans to open nursery schools.

The decision came after the organisation ran a pilot class at the party’s offices in Artemida last month.

More than 20 children, aged six to 10, were taught “Greek ideals” and mythology in accordance with the ideological values of the third most popular party in Greece.

A spokesperson described the class as a “national awakening” on the party’s official website. Educators across the globe have drawn comparisons to indoctrination methods used by the Nazis.

Golden Dawn MPs Ilias Panagiotaros and Ilias Lagos confirmed the plans at a conference in Crete last Sunday. They claimed socialist politicians had taught children a distorted version of Greek ideals and “a warped version of the country’s history”.

Unacceptable that children are taught the Holocaust in detail

The xenophobic party, whose logo appears to be a version of the swastika, holds 18 seats in parliament. Party members have been associated with Holocaust denial, antisemitism and gang beatings of members of ethnic minorities.

According to reports, Mr Lagos said last month it was “unacceptable” to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

“We have received complaints that on this day, in Greek schools, texts are read which praise the Jews and at the same time portray them as heroes,” he said.

“Given that Greek children are completely ignorant of important moments in Greek history and of the real holocausts and heroes of the Greeks, we find it unacceptable that they are taught about the Jewish Holocaust in detail.”

Teachers in Greece have reported a growth in Golden Dawn-inspired groups among secondary school pupils, which has coincided with a rise in disruptive behaviour and the bullying of children from immigrant or ethnic minority backgrounds.