Education in Greece
Encyclopedia
The Greek
education
al system is mainly divided into three levels, namely 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 Lykeio
(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
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:
Additional Subjects:
Grading System:
Starts on September 11th and ends on June 15th to 18th. 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:
There are much more subjects in the Greek Gymnasiums:
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 12th 2011 the new system was introduced to the new students of the 1st grade of General Lyceum.
The subjects:
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:
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:
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:
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. List of universities in Greece
and the State University of New York
, but also non-profit accredited institutions, 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.)
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al system is mainly divided into three levels, namely 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
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(variously translated as Middle or Junior High School), a compulsory three-year school, after which students can attend Lykeio
Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
(an academically-oriented High School) or Vocational training
IEK
I.E.K. or IEK is a public or private Institute of Vocational Training in Greece.-Public and private I.E.K.:Public and private I.E.K...
. 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
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
level) courses last from 1 to 2 years and doctorates (PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
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:
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
φροντιστήριο, frontistirio (singular)) provide foreign language tuition, supplementary lessons for weak students as well as exam preparation courses for the competitive Panhellenic national examinations
Apolytirion
Apolytirio , is the main school-leaving certificate for secondary education in Greece and Cyprus, obtained after successfully completing the third grade of Lyceum In Greece, it is graded on a 20-point scale....
. 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
Education in Ancient Greece
Education played a significant role in ancient Greek life since the founding of the poleis till the Hellenistic and Roman period. From its origins in the Homeric and the aristocratic tradition, Greek education was vastly "democratized" in the 5th century BC, influenced by the Sophists, Plato and...
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 (GymnasiumGymnasium (school)A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
- 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 11th and ends on June 15th to 18th. 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 much 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 and Italian 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 LyceumLyceumThe lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
- 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 12th 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. 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 SchoolsAmerican Community SchoolsACS Athens - American Community Schools is a private school offering International JK-12 education to local, national and international students in Greece.- History :...
. - Public and private IEKIEKI.E.K. or IEK is a public or private Institute of Vocational Training in Greece.-Public and private I.E.K.:Public and private I.E.K...
. - According to the article 16 of the Greek constitutionConstitution of GreeceThe Constitution of Greece , was created by the Fifth Revisional Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised three times since, most significantly in 1986, and also in 2001 and in 2008. The Constitutional history of Greece goes back to the Greek War of...
, 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 CollegeNew York CollegeThere are several colleges of New York that have names very similar to New York College or College of New York:* City College of New York* Metropolitan College of New York* New York College of Health Professions...
, BCA Business College of Athens, ALBA Graduate Business School, University of Wales, Bangor, Mediterranean College, Deree CollegeDeree CollegeDEREE - The American College of Greece is a private Center of Post-Lyceum Education, non-profit American institution of higher education, located in Athens, Greece. Its 64-acre main campus is located in the northeastern Athenian suburb of Aghia Paraskevi. DEREE-ACG is fully accredited by the New...
, 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 ΚατάρτισηςIEKI.E.K. or IEK is a public or private Institute of Vocational Training in Greece.-Public and private I.E.K.:Public and private I.E.K...
(Institouto Epagelmatikis Katartisis - Vocational Training Institute). O.E.E.K. is the government organization which oversees these institutes. - Private EESEESEES may refer to:* Embedded Entertainment System, the first video game system developed in Central America.* Engineering Equation Solver, a thermodynamic heat-based software for solving technical engineering problems* Electric Eel Shock, a Japanese rock band...
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 softwareComputer softwareComputer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
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, often franchises of European and American universities such as the University of IndianapolisUniversity of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...
and the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
, but also non-profit accredited institutions, are operating legally as EES
EES
EES may refer to:* Embedded Entertainment System, the first video game system developed in Central America.* Engineering Equation Solver, a thermodynamic heat-based software for solving technical engineering problems* Electric Eel Shock, a Japanese rock band...
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
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
, 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.)