1. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 THE GREEK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Aimilia-Mello Kekia School Advisor

2. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 THE GREEK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Basic characteristics Administrative structure Organizational structure:Levels of education Axes

3. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Basic characteristics of the Greek educational system The Constitution of Greece sets the Greek educational system under the supreme supervision of the State (Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs). Education is offered to all children without charge, since the main source of funding is the state budget. It is a very centralised system both in terms of organisation and administration. With regards to schooling principles and practices, there is a national curriculum, uniform school timetables and approved textbooks that are compulsory in the private sector as well.

4. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Administrative/Management Structure The administration of primary and secondary education is conducted hierarchically at central, regional and local level respectively by: a. the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs b. the Regional Education Directorates c. the Directorates of Education d. the School Units. Higher education institutions are fully self-administered legal entities of public law

5. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Organizational Structure: Levels of Education and Types of Schools In accordance with Article 16 of the Greek Constitution, the educational system aims at the moral, intellectual, professional and physical education of Greeks, the development of national and religious awareness and the formation of free and responsible citizens. Educational system in Greece is subdivided in 3 basic levels: Primary, Secondary and Higher Education. Compulsory education lasts for ten years, from ages 5 to 15.

7. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Primary Education: Kindergarten & Elementary School Pre-primary education begins at the age of 4 when children are allowed to enrol in Nipiagogeia (pre-primary schools). Attendance in them is compulsory for all 5 year old children (Law 3518/2006). Since 1997, the operation of the Oloimero Nipiagogeio (all-day kindergarden) has been established by law. The next stage comprises the compulsory attendance of Dimotiko Scholeio (Primary Elementary School) which belongs to primary education, lasts for 6 years and children are admitted at the age of 6.

8. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013

10. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Alternatives structures of elementary schools ‘ New School’ policy 2010-13  Foreign-language Schools  Schools of Intercultural Education  Schools for Minorities  Schools for Special Educational Needs  All-day Schools with EAEP (1287) (FEK 804/2010)  Pilot Schools experimented New Curricula (99) and School Self-Evaluation Programme (250) (2010/11)  Experimental Model Schools (15) (Law 3966/2011)

11. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Secondary Education I: Gymnasium The 3 year attendance of Gymnasio (lower secondary education) constitutes the last period of compulsory education and is a prerequisite for enrolling and attending general or vocational upper secondary schools. In parallel with day Gymnasio, Esperino Gymnasio (Evening Lower Secondary Education School) operates, in which attendance starts at the age of 14.

13. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Secondary Education II: Lyceum The second tier of secondary education lasts also for 3 years and constitutes the non-compulsory upper secondary education. According to the recent L.4186/2013 on establishing the ‘New Lyceum’, upper SE comprises general SE (including Geniko Lykeio/General Lyceum) and vocational SE (including Epaggelmatiko Lykeio/Vocational Lyceum). In General and Vocational Lyceum pupils enrol at the age of 15. Parallel to day schools, Esperina Genika Lykeia (Evening General Lyceums) and Esperina Epaggelmatika Lykeia (Evening Vocational Lyceums) also operate, while the minimum age for enrollment in Evening Vocational Lyceum is 16 years of age.

15. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013  Foreign-language Schools  Ecclesiastic education schools  Musical schools and Art schools  Schools of Intercultural Education  Schools for Minorities  Schools for Special Educational Needs  Second-chance schools  Pilot Schools experimented new curricula (68 gymn.) and School Self-Evaluation Programme (230 gymn.& lyc.) (2010/11)  Experimental Model Schools (15 gymn. & 15 lyc.) (L 3966/2011) Alternatives structures of secondary schools ‘New School’ policy 2010-13

16. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Tertiary Education: Universities – TEI Higher education constitutes the last level of educational system and comprises the University and Technological sectors. Both offer a BA degree in at least 4 y. The University sector includes Universities (Panepistimia), Technical Universities, the School of Fine Arts and the Hellenic Open University. The Technological sector includes the Technological Education Institutions (Technologika Ekpaideftika Idrymata-TEI) and the Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPAITE). The greek tertiary education institutions are only public and the enrolment depends upon strict and written examinations held every summer on a national level.

17. The New HE Law (4009/2011) In order to achieve the objectives of Europe 2020 strategy, the Bologna and the Copenhagen process, a new law about tertiary education has passed in 2011. This law reforms fundamentally the administrative structure, the evaluation system and the whole perspective of the greek universities, aiming at internalization.

18. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Non-formal Education-Lifelong Learning: KEK- IEK- LLC- Colleges On the basis of the Law 3879/2010, Lifelong Learning policy in Greece, which comprises -apart from formal education- non formal education and informal learning, is part of a wider development plan aiming at giving emphasis to human knowledge, abilities and skills. In the framework of non-formal education, structures providing lifelong learning services are as follows: a. Kentra Epaggelmatikis Katartisis - KEK (Vocational Training Centers), b. Institouta Epaggelmatikis Katartisis - IEK (Vocational Training Institutes), c. Kentra Dia Viou Mathisis (Lifelong learning Centers), and d. Kollegia (Colleges). IEK (public and/or private) and Kollegia (only private) constitute also post- secondary non-tertiary education structures.

19. OECD 2011: GREECE

20. School Management And Resource Training Directorate of Primary Education West Thessaloniki Comenius Regio 2012-14 Thessaloniki November 2013 Thank you THE GREEK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: We are still AIMING HIGH and we don’t lose HOPE and our VISION…