Greek Focus Group Blog

Under the editorship of Stelios Krassas
Athens 2003

The Hellenic Educational System

Laws and administrative acts govern the Hellenic Educational System. The Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, which implements the national policy for education, has the overall responsibility.

During the last decades, important reformatory initiatives broadened the horizons of our educational system: the linguistic issue was resolved, democratic procedures were consolidated in Universities, the Institutions of Technological Education were established, a nine-year compulsory education as well as vocational education and training were institutionalised.

The structure of the system in brief

Education in Greece is compulsory for all children 6-15 years old; namely, it includes Primary (Dimotiko Sholeio) and Lower Secondary (Gymnasio) Education. The school life of the students, however, can start from the age of 2.5 years (pre-school education) in institutions (private and public) called "Vrefonipiakoi Paidikoi Stathmoi" (creches). In some Vrefonipiakoi Stathmoi there are also Nipiaka Tmimata (nursery classes), which operate along with the Nipiagogeia (kindergartens).

Attendance at Primary Education (Dimotiko) lasts for six years, and children are admitted at the age of 6. Along with the regular kindergartens (Nipiagogeia) and the Dimotika, All-day primary schools are in operation, with an extended timetable and an enriched Curriculum.

Post-compulsory Secondary Education, according to the reform of 1997, consists of two school types: Eniaia Lykeia (Unified Upper Secondary Schools) and the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE). The duration of studies in Eniaia Lykeia (EL) is three years and two years (a' level) or three years (b' level) in the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE). Mutual student transfer from one type of school to the other is possible.

Along with the mainstream schools of Primary and Secondary Education, Special Nipiagogeia (kindergartens), Dimotika, Gymnasia, Lykeia and upper secondary classes are in operation, which admit students with special educational needs. Musical, Ecclesiastical and Physical Education Gymnasia and Lykeia are also in operation.

Post-compulsory Secondary Education also includes the Vocational Training Institutes (IEK), which provide formal but unclassified level of education. These Institutes are not classified as an educational level, because they accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates according to the relevant specializations they provide.

Public higher education is divided into Universities (AEI) and Technological Educational Institutes (TEI). Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place at the second and third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students are admitted to the Hellenic Open University (EAP) upon the completion of the 22-year of age by drawing lots.

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

It should be outlined that the graph offers a general overview of the education system with its main aspects being supervised by the Ministry of Education and which form the major part of it. However, a broader analysis shows that the total of the education services provided for in Greece form a much more complex, multilevel and differentiated infrastructure. Moreover, many other educational services, classified or unclassified, are provided for in the formal education system, either in co-operation with it or completely independently.

A detailed description of the Greek Education System is offered in EURYBASE (http://www.eurydice.org) , the EURYDICE database of the European Education Systems. More information is offered in Ministry’s of National Education and Religious Affairs web site: http://www.ypepth.gr .

The following graph presents concisely the structure of the Hellenic (Greek) Educational System, as it consists of institutions of the formal, classified or unclassified education.