Education In Greece Information

The Greek educational system is mainly divided into three levels, mainly primary, secondary and tertiary, with an additional post-secondary level providing vocational training. Primary education is divided into kindergarten lasting one or two years, and primary school spanning six years (ages 6 to 12). Secondary education comprises two stages: Gymnasio (variously translated as Middle or Junior High School), a compulsory three-year school, after which students can attend Lykeion (an academically-oriented High School) or Vocational training. Higher Tertiary education is provided by Universities and Polytechnics, Technological Educational Institutes (T.E.I., 1983 ~ present) and Academies which primarily cater for the military and the clergy. 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.

All schools, regardless of level, are overseen by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The Ministry exercises centralised control over state schools, by prescribing the curriculum, appointing staff and controlling funding. Private schools also fall under the mandate of the Ministry, which exercises supervisory control over them. At a regional level, the supervisory role of the Ministry is exercised through Regional Directorates of Primary and Secondary Education, and Directorates of Primary and Secondary Education operate in every Prefecture. Tertiary institutions are nominally autonomous, but the Ministry is responsible for their funding, and the distribution of students to undergraduate courses. Currently the Greek government only recognises the degree programmes offered by the state-run universities although there are several private universities and colleges offering degree programmes that are validated and overseen by American, British and other European universities. The Greek government is pressured to recognise these overseas programmes.

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. There are also a number of private tutors schools, colleges and universities operating alongside the state education and providing supplementary tuition. These parallel schools (Greek: φροντιστήριο, frontistirio (singular)) 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 (and examinations) at the tutors schools in the afternoon and evening in addition to their normal schooling.

see also Education in ancient Greece

Primary Education

Elementary schools are called "Dimotiká" (demotic, meaning municipal), a carryover term from a time when such schools were run by local communities. The name remains although it has been obsolete for decades. In the first two years pupils are not officially graded, and parents obtain feedback about their performance via oral communications with teachers. Grading begins in Year 3, and written exams are introduced in Year 5. Graduating from one year to the next is automatic, and pupils with deficient performance are given remedial tutoring. Years are called "classes", from first to sixth:

• Year 1 (Πρώτη δημοτικού): age 6 to 7
• Year 2 (Δευτέρα δημοτικού): age 7 to 8
• Year 3 (Τρίτη δημοτικού): age 8 to 9
• Year 4 (Τετάρτη δημοτικού): age 9 to 10
• Year 5 (Πέμπτη δημοτικού): age 10 to 11
• Year 6 (Έκτη δημοτικού): age 11 to 12

Enrollment to the next tier of compulsory education, the Gymnasium, is automatic. A normal school-day starts at 8.15 and finishes from 12.30 to 16.15 depending on the class and the school. The classes last between 30 and 80 minutes. The school year always starts in the second week of September and ends in the second week of June. The students have summer vacation (3 months), Christmas vacation (2 weeks) and Easter vacation (2 weeks). Furthermore, students take usually another four days off in order to celebrate their two national holidays (28/10 and 25/3).

Basic subjects:

• Modern Greek Language (9 hours/week)
• Modern Greek Literature (2 hours/week)
• Mathematics (5 hours/week)
• Environmental Studies (2–4 hours/week)
• Physical Education (4 hours/week)
• Music (2 hours/week)
• Art (2 hours/week)
• Computer Studies (2 hours/week)
• Theatrical Studies (1 hour/week)
• Flexible Zone (3 hours/week)
• English (2–4 hours/week)

Additional Subjects:

• Physics (2 hours/week and only for years 5 and 6)
• Geography (2 hours/week and only for years 5 and 6)
• History (2 hours/week and for years 3-6)
• Religion (2 hours/week and for years 3-6)
• Social & Political Studies (2 hours/week and only for years 5 and 6)
• Second Foreign Language (2 hours/week and only for years 5 and 6)

Grading System:

• 1st Year: no grades
• 2nd Year: no grades
• 3rd Year: A-E
• 4th Year: A-E
• 5th Year: 1-10
• 6th Year: 1-10

Secondary Education

• Γυμνάσιο (Gymnasium - Middle / Secondary School) (compulsory education)
  • Πρώτη Γυμνασίου / 1st grade, age 12 to 13
  • Δευτέρα Γυμνασίου / 2nd grade, age 13 to 14
  • Τρίτη Γυμνασίου / 3rd grade, age 14 to 15

Starts on September 11 and ends on June 15 to 18. The lessons end in the second week of May so that the students will be able to study for their examinations between May and June. The classes start at 8.15 and end from 13.45 to 14.15 according to the type of school. Classes last from 30 min. to 45 min. and there are breaks of 10 and 5 minutes between them. Every month each school is obliged to take the students for a walk (περίπατος) and an educational excursion to a museum or theater etc. In the end of the year each school is obliged to organise 3 school trips, one for the students of the 2nd year for 3–4 days, one for the students of the 3rd year for 3–5 days and for all of the students which lasts one day. The schools usually organise trips to islands like Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu or even abroad in European cities like Paris, London, Barcelona, Lemesos, Valetta, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Berlin etc.

There are 6 types of gymnasiums in Greece:

• General Gymnasium (entering there from the primary school is automatic)
• Athletic Gymnasium (to enter this type of school students must pass certain exams on a sport like basketball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, polo, swimming etc.)
• Musical Gymnasium (to enter this type of school students must pass certain exams on a musical instrument)
• Art Gymnasium
• Experimental Gymnasium
• Church Gymnasium

There are many more subjects in the Greek Gymnasiums:

• Modern Greek Language (2 hours/week)
• Modern Greek Literature (2 hours/week)
• Ancient Greek Language (3 hours/week)
• Ancient Greek Literature (Homer Odyssey-1st Year, Homer Iliad-2nd Year, Euripides Helen-3rd Year), (2 hours/week)
• Mathematics (4 hours/week)
• Physics (2 hours/week and only for years 2 and 3)
• Chemistry (1 hour/week and for years 2 and 3)
• Biology (2 hours/week and for years 1 and 3)
• Social and Political Studies (2 hours/week and for year 3)
• Physical Education (2 hours/week)
• Art (1 hour/week)
• Music (1 hour/week)
• History (2 hours/week for years 1&2 and 3 hours/week for year 3)
• Religion (2 hours/week)
• Computer Studies (1 hour/week)
• Technology (1 hour/week and for years 1&2)
• English (2 hours/week)
• 2nd foreign language (German, French, Italian and Spanish or rarely Russian and Turkish 2 hours/week)
• School Vocational Guidance (1 hour/week)
• Economics (1 hour/week for year 1 and 2 hours/week for year 2)
• Geography (2 hours/week)

• Γενικό Λύκειο (General Lyceum - High School)
  • Πρώτη Λυκείου / 1st grade, age 15 to 16

On April 2011, the Minister of Education, Lifelong learning and Religious affairs Anna Diamantopoulou officially announced the historic recreation of the General Lyceum. On September 12, 2011 the new system was introduced to the new students of the 1st grade of General Lyceum.

The subjects:

• Greek Language (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek Literature and Composition-9 hours/week)
• Religion (2 hours/week)
• Ancient History (2 hours/week)
• Maths (5 hours/week)
• English (3 hours/week)
• Physical Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology-6 hours/week)
• PE (3 hours/week)
• Project (3 hours/week)

• • Δευτέρα Λυκείου / 2nd grade, age 16 to 17
  • Τρίτη Λυκείου / 3rd grade, age 17 to 18

• Επαγγελματικό Λύκειο / ΕΠΑΛ (Vocational Lyceum)

Private Schools

There is a wide range of private schools in Greece. 6% of students who attend compulsory education (the highest percent in the European Union) study in Private Schools. Tuition fees start from 1.500 euros to 13.000 euros according to the school and the year.

School Elections

Greece is the birthplace of democracy so it's usual that every Greek has to get used to the use of democracy from an early age. So from the fifth year of the primary school to the third year of Lyceum elections are held.

• Elections in primary schools

They are held every September, all the students are obliged to elect 2 presidiums for each class which "rule" until January when the other one succeeds the first. The role of these presidiums are to primp the classrooms for the national holidays and for Christmas. Furthermore they transfer the complaints of each student to the school authorities.

There are 4 positions:

• The President
• The Vice-President
• The General Secretary
• The Treasurer

• Elections in Gymnasiums and Lyceums

They are held every September and they are also divided in 2 parts.

In the 1st part every student elects the Presidium of his/her class.

The Class Presidium has 5 members:

• The President
• The General Secretary
• The Treasurer
• The 1st Member
• The 2nd Member

In the second part students elect a School Council which has 15 members and represents the students. Its role is extremely important in every school because the School Council takes significant decisions for all the students.

The School Council has 15 members:

• The School President
• The Vice-President
• The Treasurer
• Another 12 Members

Tertiary Education in Greece

• Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα - Α.E.I. (Higher Educational Institutes)

Higher Educational Institutes are consisted of two parallel sectors: the Universities and the Higher Technological Educational Institutes (T.E.I.). In addition, colleges collaborating with foreign universities can offer undergraduate and postgraduate UK foreign programmes of study in Greece, under the proper registration with the Greek Ministry of Education. Usually, these programmes are provided following franchise or validation agreements with universities established in other European Union countries, primarily in the UK, leading to degrees which are awarded directly by those universities. In some cases these institutions are wholly owned and operated branch campuses of foreign institutions, as in the case of the University of Indianapolis - Athens Campus. List of universities in Greece

Private Education

• There are public and private dimotika (primary education), gymnasia (middle school; secondary education), lykeia (high school; secondary education). Some of them are for foreigners, usually children of British or American families. For example see American Community Schools.
• Public and private IEK.
• According to the article 16 of the Greek constitution, private tertiary education was not allowed in Greece. However there were some Laboratories of Free Studies (Ergastiria Eleutheron Spoudon), often franchises of foreign universities, sometimes non-profit organizations, which advertised themselves as private universities or as centers from public universities abroad. For example see DEI College/University of London International Programmes and UCLan, I.S.T. College/University of Hertfordshire, New York College, BCA Business College of Athens, ALBA Graduate Business School, University of Wales, Bangor, Mediterranean College, Deree College, etc.
• Following changes in the Greek legislation, in 2008 and 2010, private organisations have been authorised to offer foreign undergraduate and postgraduate programmes under the monitoring of the Greek Ministry of Education. Ministry of Education List of Authorised Colleges

Vocational Education and Training

• Επαγγελματικό Λύκειο, ΕΠΑ.Λ. (Epagelmatiko Lykio - Educational Lyceum, EPA.L.)
• I.E.K. - Ινστιτούτο Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης (Institouto Epagelmatikis Katartisis - Vocational Training Institute). O.E.E.K. is the government organization which oversees these institutes.
• Private EES schools often offer seminars and 1-year vocational programmes, usually for Computing or Business studies. Young Greeks can seek private vocational education using the computer software products Eurofasma and Kefaleo (Capital).

Obsolete Institutions

• Τεχνικό Επαγγελματικό Εκπαιδευτήριο, ΤΕΕ (Techniko Epagelmatiko Ekpedeftirio - Technical Vocational School, TEE)
• Τεχνικό Επαγγελματικό Λύκειο, ΤΕΛ (Techniko Epagelmatiko Lykeio - Technical Vocational Lyceum, TEL)
• Τεχνική Επαγγελματική Σχολή, ΤΕΣ (Techniki Epagelmatiki Scholi - Technical Vocational School, TES)
• Ενιαίο Πολυκλαδικό Λύκειο, ΕΠΛ (Eniaio Polykladiko Lykeio - Unified Multidisciplinary Lyceum, EPL)

Current issues

The foremost topic of debate in recent years has been recognition of the private universities, which are forbidden by the 1975 constitution. Numerous private institutions, which are often franchises of European and American universities, such as State University of New York, but also non-profit accredited institutions or wholly owned and operated branch campuses of foreign universities, such as the University of Indianapolis - Athens Campus, are operating legally as EES schools (translatable as "Laboratories of Free Study").

Moreover, with few exceptions, the Greek government refuses to recognize three-year university degrees. Students who completed a Bachelor's degree in a foreign country find it difficult to secure employment in the public sector, unless they next obtain a Master's degree, in which case their academic qualifications are considered equivalent to a four-year undergraduate degree conferred by a Greek higher educational institute.

Following pressure from the EU member states, within the framework of the Bologna Process, Greece is revising its classification of degrees to bring it in line with the framework defined in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System/ECTS. (It is usually the goal to accomplish a bachelor degree within 3 years and a master degree within 2 years.)

References

• Anastasios Giamouridis and Carl Bagley, Journal of Modern Greek Studies, vol. 24, No. 1, "Policy, Politics and Social Inequality in the Educational System", May 2006, pp. 1–21.
• Education Research Centre - Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, The Greek Education System. Facts and Figures (Supervision: Prof. V. Koulaidis. Compiled by C. Papakyriakopoulos, A. Patouna, A. Katsis & S. Georgiadou), Athens, 2003. (ISBN 960-541-106-7)
  • (Greek) Κέντρο Εκπαιδευτικής Έρευνας, Το Ελληνικό Εκπαιδευτικό Σύστημα Συνοπτική εικόνα σε αριθμούς, Αθήνα, 2003. (ISBN 960-541-108-3) [1] (accessed June 1, 2006)
• Greek Educational System: The Implementation of the ICT in the Greek Curriculum in Compulsory Education, IACM/FORTH, November 2003 [2]
• National report of Greece 2009 - Bologna Process: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/links/Greece.htm

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