Education in Greece

The central building of Athens University (left), and the building of a high school in Argos, right.

Education in Greece is centralized and governed by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (Greek: Υπουργείο Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων, Υ.ΠΑΙ.Θ.) at all grade levels in elementary and middle school.[1][2][3] The Ministry exercises control over public schools, formulates and implements legislation, administers the budget, coordinates national level university entrance examinations, sets up the national curriculum, appoints public school teaching staff, and coordinates other services.

The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs[4] is also in charge of which classes are necessary for general education. They have implemented mandatory courses such as religion in required grade levels (1st-9th grades). Students can only be exempt if their guardians fill out a declaration excluding them from religious lessons.[5]

The national supervisory role of the Ministry is exercised through Regional Unit Public Education Offices, which are named Regional Directorates of Primary and Secondary School Education.[6][7][8][9][10] Public schools and their supply of textbooks are funded by the government. Public schools in Greece are tuition-free and students on a state approved list are provided textbooks at no cost.

About 25% of postgraduate programmes are tuition-fee, while about 30% of students are eligible to attend programmes tuition-free based on individual criteria.[11]

Formal education in Greece comprises three educational stages. The first stage of formal education is the primary stage, which lasts for six years starting aged six and ending at the age of 12, followed by the secondary stage, which is separated into two sub-stages: the compulsory middle school, which lasts three years starting at age 12, and non-compulsory Lyceum, which lasts three years starting at 15.[12] The third stage involves higher education.

School holidays in Greece include Christmas, Greek Independence Day, Easter, National Anniversary Day, a three-month summer holiday, National Public Holidays, and local holidays, which vary by region such as the local patron saint's day.

In addition to schooling, the majority of students attend extracurricular private classes at private tutoring centres called "frontistiria" (φροντιστήρια, frontistirio), or one-to-one tuition. These centres prepare students for higher education admissions, like the Pan-Hellenic Examinations, and/or provide foreign language education.

It is forbidden by law for students to use mobile phones while on the school premises. Taking or making phone calls, texting, or the use of other camera, video or other recording devices or medium that have image and audio processing ability like smartwatches is forbidden. Students must switch off their mobile phones or set them to silent mode and keep them in their bags while on the school premises.[13][14][15] However, especially at high schools, the use of mobile phones is widespread, especially at breaks and sometimes in the class.

  1. ^ "Legislations for the Greek Education – latest updates" (in Greek). Ministry of Education.
  2. ^ "Greece Education Legislation Listing Since 1830 Until Present". ADIPPDE (in Greek). Authority of Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education.
  3. ^ "Education Services via Greek Government Portal Gov.gr". Gov.gr (in Greek).
  4. ^ "Greece: Voluntary National Review 2022 - On the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Parents' basic guide to Greek schools - Refugee.info Greece". greece.refugee.info. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Greece Administration and Governance at Central and/or Regional Level". eacea.ec.europa.eu. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Greece Education System Legislation and Official Policy Documents". eacea.ec.europa.eu. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Bodies and Institutions Supervised by Greek Ministry of Education". eacea.ec.europa.eu. 10 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Greece inclusion of learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities". European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Information for Greece, Legislation and policy
  10. ^ "Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE)". ADIPPDE (in Greek).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference 4485law2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Greece Geodata Government Maps" (in Greek and English). Information Management Systems Institute (IMSI). Research and Innovation Center "Athena".
  13. ^ "Personal Data, Laws, Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA)". Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA). Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data
  14. ^ "Law 3471/2006 Government Gazette 133/A/28-6-2006" (PDF). Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 September 2022. Protection of personal data and privacy in the electronic telecommunications sector and amendment of law 2472/1997 Government Gazette 50/10-4-1997
  15. ^ "Greece cyber security laws and regulations – latest updates". Global Legal Group.