KALLIONTZI MYRSINI

GREEK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Primary educationIt is compulsory for

every child between the age of 5 to 12 years. Consists of the Kindergarden (lasting 1 year) and the Elementery school “dimotiko” (lasting 6 years). The aim of these schools is to provide pupils subject-specific knowledge and prepare them for the role of citizens in the society.

Grading System:1st Year: no grades2nd Year: no grades3rd Year: A-E4th Year: A-E5th Year: 1-106th Year: 1-10The best and most

common grade in the 3rd and 4th year is A, when in 5th and 6th year is 10.

Lower secondary educationThis level is compulsory

as well and falls into the secondary education level. It consists of a 3-year school which is called “Gymnasium” (ages 12 to 15). The aim of this school is again to provide subject-specific knowledge and teach kids how to become good citizens in future.

Grading system:1st year: 1-202nd year: 1-203rd year: 1-20

Yet it is unusual for a pupil to get 1-7, because the lowest grade teachers give is 8.

The best grades are 18-20.

Post compulsory-Upper secondary education

It consists of 2 differenttypes of schools:The unified upper

secondary, an academically oriented school -Unified Lyceum- (lasting 3 years)

The technical vocational school-TEE (lasting 3 years as well)

The aim of these 2 schools is to provide more extended education and prepare teenagers for Pan-hellenic national examinations.

Grading system:1st year: 1-202nd year: 1-203rd year: 1-20

Again it is unusual for a pupil to get grades 1-7.

The best grades are 18-20.

Mutual student transfer from one type of school to the other is possible.

Post compulsory-Upper secondary education

The Lyceum helps students acquire a general and comprehensive education. In the first year of Lyceum, students follow a common curriculum which aims to broaden their general knowledge. At the end of the first year, students may opt to follow a more technical/vocational training and switch to the T.E.E. Similarly after T.E.E. students may register in the 2nd grade of Lyceum following the successful completion of the first year of technical training. 

Pan-hellenic national exams take place when the 3rd year of the upper secondary education is over-before summer. Those exams are the most important for Greek citizens because the result defines their future. Students from Lyceums participate in the exams in order to attend Universities, Technological Educational Institutions, Military Academies, Merchant Marine Academies and other post-secondary schools. Students from the T.E.E. participate in exams for entrance to the Technological Educational Institutions. 

Tertiary-Higher education The Hellenic higher educational

system comprises two sectors. Higher Education is divided into Universities (23 )and Technological Educational Institutions –TEI (16). Admission to tertiary education is based on a student’s performance in national level examinations.

Higher education is also provided by Higher Ecclesiastical Schools,

Merchant and Marine Academies, the Higher Military Education Schools, the Higher Police Academies. However, all the above institutions cannot offer Post-graduate study programs but only in cases of cooperation with the universities which award the post-graduate degrees.

Undergraduate courses typically last 4 years (5 in polytechnics and some technical/art schools, and 6 in medical schools), postgraduate (MSc level) courses last from 1 to 2 years and doctorates (PhD level) from 3 to 6 years.

From the academic year 2006-2007 the minimum score necessary for entrance to HEIs has to be at least 50% of the highest possible passing grade.

Greece is among the 6 European countries with no fees for tertiary education.

This kind of education is provided through:

Separate education schoolsSchools or classes

operating separately or as part of

other schools hospitalsrehabilitation centersadult-training institutions

for persons suffering from chronic diseases

At home, in extremely special

conditions where a tele-education system may be in use.

The Diagnostic Evaluation and Support Centres (KDAY) are responsible for the diagnostic evaluation and scientific description of the children as “special needs”.

Special education

Parallel schoolsThere is also a number of

private tutors schools, colleges and universities operating alongside the state education and providing supplementary tuition.

These parallel schools provide foreign language tuition, supplementary lessons for weak students as well as exam preparation courses for the competitive Panhellenic national examinations.

Most of the students typically attend such classes at the tutors schools in the afternoon and evening in addition to their normal schooling.

Labour market

Higher EducationPostgraduate studies(Universities, TEI- Hellenic Open University) - Hellenic Open

UniversityUniversities

Conventional ----- Technological Education Institutes (TEI) Secondary Education

Lykeia:- Musical

- Ecclesiastical (self sufficient and autonomous)- Physical Education Schools B' grade

- Special A' gradeTEE:

Β and A LevelC and B Level

IEKGYMNASIO:

(General, Musical, Ecclesiastical, Physical Education, Special) compulsory education

Primary EducationDIMOTIKO (mainstream, All-day, Special)

NIPIAGOGEIO (mainstream, All-day, Special)NIPIAKA TMIMATA

PAIDIKOI STATHMOI

Additional informationThe Greek educational

system is under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (YPEPTH).

According to the Greek Constitution, the government is required to offer free and mandatory educational services for all children aged 6 to 15 years (in other words, a mandatory 9-year educational system).

There is a special law for the implementation of the

principle of equal treatment regardless of racial or national origin, of religious or other beliefs, of disability, age or sex orientation in accepting students in Greek schools.

• Equal treatment of men and women with regards to employment, vocational training, and professional development, as far as labour and universities are concerned.

Additional information All levels of education are catered

for by both private and public schools. State-run schools and universities do not charge tuition fees and textbooks are provided free to all students by the School Book Publishing Organization.

The main source of funding is the state budget and the European funds.

Moreover the Greek government increased on an annual basis and in real figures the funding of education.

Formal education is characterized by the fixed length of study, the possibility of repetition and the award of a formal school-leaving certificate which is the official authorization.

As a consequence of the classification of the educational institutions, a title (school-leaving certificate, degree etc.) is compulsory for students at each educational level in order to continue to the next. 

Students in Greece are on holidays during the below periods:

Summer (June-August) Easter (2 weeks usually in

April) Christmas (22nd December- 7th

January) National celebrations (usually

lasting 2 days).

Special facilities and programsFacilities: 765 libraries in secondary

education 30 second chance schools 46 Adult Educational Centres 40 Parent schools Distance Adult Learning

CentresPrograms: Joint Postgraduate Study

Programs and Joint PhDs, which allow the use of a language other than Greek in study programs

• Educational programs HERON (training in new technologies)

Learning Greek as a second language

Health educational programs (preventing AIDS).

Programs of intercultural education are provided to repatriated students of Greek origin and to students of foreign or gipsy origin, while minority schools are established for the education of the Muslim minority of Thrace.

School units-additional information

There are public and private school units of all levels and types of primary and secondary education.

School units are characterized by autonomous operation, regardless of their size in terms of student population.

Special-orientation schools (i.e. athletic, music and ecclesiastical) exist in parallel with mainstream lower and upper secondary schools.

There are also experimental schools functioning under the supervision of Universities applying experimental methods of teaching.

The regular school life of the students should start from 2.5 years of age termed as the pre-school education, offered in institutions-both private and public- which are called “Vrefonipiakoi Paidikoi Stathmoi” or creches.

In some institutions nursery classes are combined with the kindergardens at one single stretch.

Along with the kindergardens, the primary schools are also in the process, with a disciplined timetable and an updated curriculum.

Additional information

schoolsNumber of public schools

Number of privateschools

Other

Kindergarten

5,640 112 5,752

Primary 5,564 161 5,725

Lower Secondary

1,919 105 2,024

Unified Upper Secondary

1,267 107 1,374

TEE 475 74 549