GREEK EDUCATION SYSTEM STRUCTURE & PROGRESSION LEVELS Created by: Roula Kechri

Provided levels of education according to ISCED (1997) Isced level 0 - Pre-school education Isced level 1 - Primary education Isced level 2 - Lower secondary education Isced level 3 - Higher secondary education Isced level 4 - Post-secondary, non- university education Isced level 5 - University education Isced level 6 - Postgraduate studies

Nursery School & Kindergarten ISCED 0 Ages: 3-5 (attendance optional) Time: 9:00-13:00 or 8:00-16:00 Goal: to reinforce psychokinetic, social, emotional & intellectual development Special nurseries

Elementary School (“Dimotiko”) ISCED 1 Ages: 6-12 (attendance compulsory) Time: 8:00-14:00 or 8:00-16:30 Goal: to ensure all-round, harmonious & balanced mental & physical development No exams to be promoted to the next class After 6 th year, students forwarded to Gymnasium Special elementary schools

Junior High School (“Gymnasium”) ISCED 2 Ages: (attendance compulsory) Time: 8:00-14:00 or 18:00-22:00 (14+ workers Goal: acquisition of knowledge, ability to cope with social challenges, awareness of talents & inclinations Exams to be promoted to the next class Special classes for foreigners or disabled Support classes for unprivileged areas’ students Second-chance Gymnasium for adults (2yrs)

Senior High School Type 1 (“General Lyceum”) ISCED 3 Ages: (attendance optional) Time: 8:00-14:00 or 18:00-22:00 (+1 yr) Goal: unified Class 1, three-branch divided Classes 2 & 3 (Humanities/Sciences/Technological Sciences) In-school & State exams at the end of Class 3 (obligatory if one wants to go on to ISCED 5) Support classes for unprivileged areas’ students

Senior High School Type 2 (“Vocational Lyceum/EPAL”) ISCED 3 Ages: (attendance optional) Time: 8:00-14:00 or 18:00-22:00 (-50yrs) Goal: theoretical knowledge & laboratory for Class 1, specialization in Classes 2 & 3 In-school & State exams at the end of Class 3 (obligatory if one wants to go on to ISCED 5) Support classes for unprivileged areas’ students

Senior High School Type 2 (“Vocational Lyceum/EPAL”) ISCED 3 Most popular subjects: –Mechanical engineering –Electronics –Electrician –Applied Arts –Textile and Clothing –Construction –Economics and Management –Agricultural Production, Food and Environment –Health and Welfare –Chemistry Laboratory Applications –Maritime and Shipping Occupations –Information Science and Networks –Aesthetics and Hairdressing

Post secondary vocational training (“IEK” / “EPAS”) – ISCED 4 Duration: 2 yrs Certified by official State exams Market oriented classes: accounting clerks, information systems mechanics, cooking chefs, beauticians, graphic designers… Also classes in prisons

Institutes of Higher Techological Education (“TEI”) – ISCED 5 Duration: 3 yrs of study + 1 yr for practice & disseration (n+2) Admitted after nationwide State exams No fees paid - Study material gratis Only State institutions Main fields: Graphic Arts and Art Studies Management and Economics Health and Caring Professions Applied Technology Food Technology and Nutrition Agricultural Technology Music Technology.

Universities (4), Polytechnic Schools (5), Medical Schools (6) ISCED 5 Duration: varies for 4 to 6 yrs (n+2) Admitted after nationwide State exams No fees paid - Study material gratis Greek Open University (fees paid) Only State institutions Main fields: Humanities, law and social sciences Sciences Health Sciences Technological Sciences Economic and Management Sciences.

Post graduate studies ISCED 6 Duration: Master degrees (2 yrs), PhD (+3 yrs), Post-Doc research Fees to be paid Study material gratis Only State institutions

LEVEL & isced*AGE PROGRESSION ROUTES TERTIARY, HIGHER or POST SECONDARY (isced 4, 5 & 6) UPPER & LOWER SECONDARY (isced 2 & 3) PRIMARY (isced 0 & 1) /23/ POST GRADUATE STUDIES (2 yrs) UNIVERSITIES, OPEN UNI, POLYTECHNIC, MEDICAL PHD (3 yrs) & POST-DOC RESEARCH TEI IEK or EPAS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (“LYCEUM”) General, Ecclesiastical (autonomous) Special schools JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (“GYMNASIUM”) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (“DIMOTIKO”) Unified, Musical, Ecclesiastical (autonomous), PE schools, Special schools (mainstream, all-day, special) NURSERIES - KINDERGARTEN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS(“EPAL”) ( 2+1 years) * isced: International Standard Classification of Education (1997) Let’s have a second look…

Paradoxes Greek State Schools provide foreign language classes from elementary to University; parents pay private language classes for their children! The excellent students’ parents pay for private support lessons! Only 23% of the 15 yrs old continue to vocational schools & 77% to general education schools; young people’s unemployment (19-25 yrs old) is approx.41%! Greece has the highest unemployment rate in EU for university degree holders! University students depend economically on their parents till they finish studies & live with them till they find a job! More girls than boys make further studies; yet females are paid less than their male colleagues!