The provision of free education to all citizens and at all levels of the state education system is a constitutional principle of the Greek State. Specifically, the Greek constitution (Article 16 paragraph 2) sets out that: 

Education aims at the moral, intellectual, professional and physical training of all Greeks, the development of national and religious consciousness and the creation of free and responsible citizens ( article 16 of Greek Constitution).

The compulsory mainstream education system lasts 11 years and extends from the ages of 4 to 14. Compulsory education in Greece is:

• Two-year compulsory attendance for 4- and 5-year-olds in nipiagogeio (pre-primary school) (ISCED 02).
• Six-year attendance of learners in dimotiko scholeio (primary school) (ISCED 1).
• Three-year attendance of learners in gymnasio (lower-secondary education school) (ISCED 2).

Nipiagogeio (pre-primary school)

Early childhood care takes place in infant centres (vrefikoi stathmoi), infant/child centres (vrefonipiakoi stathmoi) and child centres (paidikoi stathmoi), run by the municipal authorities. They cater for children from 2 months old, up to the beginning of compulsory education. Compulsory attendance for a two-year period starts at the age of 4 and is free of charge.

Dimotiko scholeio (primary education)

Primary education spans six years, from 6–11 years of age, and includes grades 1–6.

Gymnasio (lower-secondary school/junior high school) 

Lower-secondary school is compulsory and can be public or private. It lasts three years (grades 1–3). It provides general education for learners aged 12–14. It is a prerequisite for enrolling at general or vocational upper-secondary schools (Lykeio).

Parallel to imerisio gymnasio (day lower-secondary school), esperino gymnasio (evening lower-secondary school) operates for learners aged 14 and over.

Lykeio (upper-secondary school)

Upper-secondary school is optional. It lasts three years (grades 1– 3), and learners can enrol from the age of 15.

Geniko lykeio (general upper-secondary school) lasts three years and includes both common core subjects and optional specialist subjects. Epangelmatiko lykeio (vocational upper-secondary school) offers two cycles of studies: the secondary cycle or the optional post-secondary cycle (the so-called ‘apprenticeship class’).

Parallel to day lykeia, there are also evening lykeia: esperina genika lykeia (general) and esperina epangelmatika lykeia (vocational).

Language of instruction

Greek is the official language of the Greek State, used in the entire territory and at all levels of education.

In schools for the Muslim minority, teaching takes place in both Turkish and Greek. A growing number of intercultural high schools in Greece use multiple languages of instruction and communication to promote the inclusion of immigrant and/or refugee learners.

Finally, Greek Sign Language has been recognised by Law 3699/2008 as the official language of the deaf and hard of hearing at all educational levels. 

Private education

Private schools follow the organisation of state schools. They award certificates equivalent to state schools. They follow the timetable and the teaching curriculum in force.

Authorisation to establish and operate a private international school is subject to conditions defined by law. There are 32 private international schools in Greece. The Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs & Sports supervises their operation via the competent primary and secondary education directorates.

Private international schools (Law 4186/2013) may also be established by natural persons (non-Greek citizens) or legal persons who do not live in Greece. Private schools are considered institutions of general education and are governed by the provisions of Law 682/1977.

Article 71 of Law 4485/2017 (Government Gazette No. 114/A/04-08-2017), titled ‘Organisation and Operation of Higher Education, Provisions for Research, and Other Regulations’, stipulates:

‘Students with disabilities or special educational needs may enroll in and attend private schools under the same terms, conditions, and accommodations as those applicable to public schools of general primary and secondary education. The refusal to enroll students on the grounds of disability or special educational needs is strictly prohibited.’

Home education

Law 3699/2008 (article 6, paragraph 4, subparagraph c) allows teaching at home when necessary for serious short-term or chronic health problems that prevent learners from  physically attending school. It concerns both primary and secondary education. 

Isolation and charitable care (1930–1969)

1937 – Law 453/1937 defined the notion of ‘mentally retarded child’ (sic) and established the first special primary school.

1951 – Law 905/1951 defined issues related to the education of learners with visual impairments and decided on the provision of a life allowance.

1964 – Law 4379/1964 – Educational Act modernised and democratised the ordinary educational system (i.e. made education free of charge, referred to the education of children with visual impairments/blind children in ordinary schools).

Separate education and initial integrationist initiatives (1970–1980)

1981 – Act 1143/81 on Special Education, Vocational Education, Employment and Social Care – this was considered the first political action to establish the legislative dimension of special education. The Act recognised the state’s responsibility for disabled children’s education for the first time. The definition of learners with disabilities was based on medical categorisation.

1985 – Act 1566/1985 on the structure and function of primary and secondary education – this was claimed to reconsider the ordinary educational system and, for the first time, to incorporate special education in the restructure of the broader educational framework. Act 1566/1985 put into practice the legislative conditions for integrating learners with disabilities and special needs. However, the Act was still based on a medical-individualistic approach to special needs.

Integration and inclusive initiatives (1990 to present)

As a part of the European Union, Greece’s education system, including special education, was influenced by wider European trends, as well as the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education in 1994. Disability and parents’ associations mobilised and claimed participation in decision-making processes and promoted the social integration of learners with disabilities and special needs.

Systematic efforts in special education teacher training began, with specialists in special and inclusive education from Greece or abroad. These raised a scientific discourse and claimed the space previously held by doctors, psychiatrists, psychologist and therapists. Social attitudes and perceptions, changes in terminology, the educational and social integration of disabled people, and the modernisation of education were topics heard for the first time in teacher training classes at universities in the 1990s.

2000 – Act 2817/2000 on the education of persons with special education needs (SEN). For the first time, this Act described learners’ needs as relative to their education, emphasising educational needs. Special classes were renamed as ‘inclusive classes’, while special schools were restricted only to learners diagnosed as having severe and complex disabilities. The Act referred to individual educational plans (IEPs) and established Greek Sign Language as a formal language in mainstream education. It introduced the appointment of education staff (such as music therapists, sign language interpreters, mobility instructors for learners with visual impairments) while ensuring the provision of modern technology teaching tools for learners with SEN (such as Braille machines, book recording programmes for learners with partial or total visual impairment, sign language dictionaries, etc.).

There was an effort to incorporate more inclusive terminology and emphasise inclusion in this Act, but at the same time a special education system was developed alongside or within mainstream education. No measures were established to support collaborative teaching practices, and the Act was still based on a deficit-based approach to special needs.

2008 – Law 3699/2008. The ‘deficit model’ continued to dominate in the Greek context, as Law 3699/2008 includes almost 15 categories of disability and/or SEN. However, it also indicates that ‘Special education is the set of educational services provided to learners with disabilities and identified special educational needs or to learners with special educational needs’.

The Act asserts the state’s commitment to maintaining and upgrading special education as an integral part of compulsory and free state education. It states that the provision of special education to learners with SEN includes:

• placement in a mainstream class without additional staff resources;
• placement in mainstream classes with support from teaching assistants and/or special education teachers;
• placement in resource room units/pull-out programmes in mainstream schools for some hours of the school day or school week (in which only learners with SEN are educated); 
• placement in special schools.

Inclusive education evolved from the field of special education and later expanded to address the needs of all learners, regardless of background, responding to their diverse needs. This includes groups such as Roma and refugee learners:

1996 – Law 2413/1996 (Article 34) on the education of migrant and repatriated pupils. Intercultural education aims to organise and operate primary and secondary school units to provide education to learners with educational, social or cultural particularities. Intercultural schools follow the same curricula as mainstream public schools, which are adapted to the educational, social and cultural needs of their learners.

2010 – Law 3879/2010 on learners who attend school in areas with low educational quotient, secondary school drop-out and limited access to tertiary education, as well as low socio-economic quotients, such as low component well-being quotient and high risk poverty quotient

2013 – Circular with protocol no. 180644/C1/26-11-2013 – Education of Roma learners

2017 – 139654/ΓΔ4/2017 Common Ministerial Decision (Government Gazette 2985Β) on the education of migrant, repatriated and refugee children

2021 – Act 4823/2021 is claimed to be based on an ‘Educational approach which takes into account the needs of the heterogeneity of the learner population, and aims to remove barriers to learning and ensure equal access to the educational system of all learners, including learners with disabilities and special educational needs’ (Article 4).

2024 – A Greece with Everyone for Everyone: National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2024-2030 aims to:

• promote an inclusive and universally accessible education system at all levels, including vocational education and training and lifelong learning, with particular emphasis on pre-school and primary education; 
• enable access to and successful inclusion of persons with disability in education and the labour market, without discrimination (Pillar IV). 

2025 – 5224/2025 modified some articles of Law 3699 as follows:

• Special education teachers may support learners with SEN during all-day programmes in schools when proposed by the teaching staff association and the Interdisciplinary Support Committee (ISC), and approved by the Director of the Primary Education Directorate.
• Teachers assigned to inclusion classes or to co-teaching support (parallel support) for learners with visual or hearing impairments must have certified knowledge of Braille or proficiency in Greek Sign Language (GSL). They can support learners with visual or hearing impairments throughout their teaching schedule.
• Provisions regarding the attendance of learners with disabilities or SEN, the establishment of permanent positions for teachers and special education staff in the Centers for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support, and for staff in the Interdisciplinary Support Committees in general and vocational education school units came into effect on 1 September 2025.

Greece (Hellas), officially the Hellenic Republic, is a parliamentary republic. The Hellenic Republic is a unitary state organised on a decentralised basis; it comprises two levels of governance, the central (state) governance and the local self-government. The former is exercised centrally (government ministries) as well as at a decentralised level (apokentromeni diikisi), while the latter is exercised at regional and municipal level.

In line with Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Greek education policy supports the right of all learners, including those with disability and/or special educational needs, to equal access to education and psychosocial support services, and takes steps and legislative initiatives to fight against any form of inequality and discrimination.

Law 4823/2021 on education defines inclusive education as ‘The educational approach, which takes into account the needs of the heterogeneity of the student population and aims to remove barriers to learning and ensure equal access to the educational system of all students, including students with disabilities and special educational needs’.

Law 4823/2021 promoted inclusive education as the main target of the educational system, reformed previous support structures and developed a continuum of support, backed by flexible human and financial resource allocation. It also redefined the role of Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASYs) and of school networks, and established school counsellors for inclusive education. It also made provisions for quality assurance and school monitoring by establishing quality assurance supervisors. According to this law, all support structures aim to ensure equal access to education for all learners and address both individual and institutional barriers to learning.

The law also specifies the goals and responsibilities of KEDASYs and Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committees (EDYs). The Governance strategy – Organisations of systems of support section below provides more detailed information on KEDASYs and EDYs.

Since 2016, provisions for inclusive education in mainstream schools have been incorporated in several Ministerial Decisions or Decrees. These provisions include:

• redefining the objective of inclusion classes as ‘the full inclusion of pupils with disability and/or special educational needs into the school setting’ – a transition from a previous pull-out model (Law 4368/2016, article 82);
• determining the number of learners with disability and/or special educational needs per class in mainstream general and vocational education schools (Law 3699/2008, art. 6 para 1 as amended by Law. 4452/2017, article 11, para. 1a);
• establishing co-educational programmes between special and mainstream schools, which promote inclusion and equity, develop the cognitive, learning, emotional and social skills of learners with disability and/or special educational needs, and sensitise learners in mainstream schools on issues related to the respect of human rights, diversity and human dignity (addition of paragraph 6 to article. 6 of Law.3699/2008, according to Law 4368/2016, article 82, para 3a);
• introducing an institutional framework to support primary and secondary schools with social workers and psychologists (Law. 4485/17, GG 114 Α, article 70, para. 6);
• regulating the operation of the post-secondary year-apprenticeship class, and referencing specific issues concerning learners with disabilities and/ or special educational needs;
• introducing a regulation on SDEYs and EDYs in general and vocational schools, with a clear inclusive orientation;
• introducing a multi-dimensional legislative framework capable of promoting the inclusion in higher education (included in Law 4957/2022);
• introducing special provisions for learners with chronic health issues, including types of support, distance learning, etc. (Law 5128/2024).

For learners with disability and/or special educational needs, Law 3699/2008 (Article 1) (GG 199 A/2008) states that the Greek state undertakes to preserve and invariably enhance the compulsory nature of special education for learners with disabilities and/or special educational needs (SEN) as an integral part of a free and compulsory education system. It also undertakes to ensure their equal and full participation in society, independent living, self-sufficiency and autonomy, by fully protecting their rights to education as well as to social and professional inclusion.

Article 1 of Law 3699/2008, as amended, recognises disability as ‘a complex social and political phenomenon’. (European Agency, Country information).

Article 3 of the law defines learners with disabilities and/or SEN as those who have significant difficulties in learning for the whole or some period of their school life, due to sensory, intellectual, cognitive or developmental problems, mental health and neuropsychological disorders which, according to an interdisciplinary assessment, affect their school adjustment and learning. More specifically:

Learners with disabilities and special educational needs include especially those with intellectual disabilities, sensory visual disabilities (blind, visually impaired), sensory hearing disabilities (deaf, hard of hearing), motor disabilities, chronic non-curable diseases, speech and language disorders, special learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention deficit disorder (with or without hyperactivity), developmental disorders (autism spectrum), mental disorders and multiple disabilities. The category of learners with disabilities and special educational needs does not include learners with low school performance that is causally associated with external factors, such as linguistic or cultural factors.

Learners with complex cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, delinquent behaviour due to abuse, parental neglect and abandonment, or due to domestic violence, belong to people with special educational needs. ‘Learners with special educational needs’ also refers also to learners who have one or more intellectual abilities and talents developed to a degree that far exceeds the expectations for their age group.

The National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disability aims to promote an inclusive and universally accessible education system at all levels, and enable persons with disability to access and be successful included in education and the labour market, without discrimination (Pillar IV: Inclusion in Education).

Amendments to Law 3699/2008 (L. 3966/2011, 4186/2013, 4415/2016, 4368/2016, 4452/2017) and the more recent Law 4823/2021 made educational policy more inclusive. They ensure that more learners with disability and/or special educational needs (SEN) attend mainstream school with appropriate support, and gradually move special school units into resource centres to increase mainstream schools’ capacity and improve support for all learners.

Vulnerable social groups

Reference to specific categories of vulnerable social groups is made in:

• National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2024-2030
• National Action Plan for the Rights of the Child
• National Framework of fighting child poverty and social exclusion 5
• National Action Plan against racism and intolerance 2020–2023.
• National Action Plan - Child Guarantee.

Specific policies for other vulnerable groups

Law 3879/2010 introduced Educational Priority Zones (EPZ) to support schools in areas with low educational performance, high drop-out rates, and socio-economic challenges. It aimed to promote equal integration through initiatives like reception classes, learning support, summer courses, and classes to maintain learners’ mother tongue.

The Inclusion Policy is promoted for all vulnerable groups of the learner population.

Intercultural education (l. 4415/2016) concerns the structuring of relations of different cultural groups with the aim to lift inequality and social exclusion. It sets the framework for harmonious and effective integration in the general education system of learners with a distinct educational, social and cultural background.

Intercultural education involves including learners from different cultural backgrounds in schools along with native learners and reinforcing respect for democratic principles and children’s rights. It also includes ensuring suitable curricula and teaching resources and tackling discrimination caused by cultural differences, xenophobia and racism. It aims to ensure educational programmes and actions that address all members of the educational community.

Compensatory education aims to re-integrate learners in education and enable them to complete compulsory education, thereby reducing early school leaving and increasing access to upper-secondary education.

Compensatory and supporting structures include intercultural (scholeia diapolitismikis ekpaidefsis) and minority schools (meionotika scholeia), reception classes (taxeis ypodochis), remedial teaching (enischytiki didaskalia) and additional teaching support (prostheti didaktiki stirixi). They also include schools in detention centres, and educational priority zones (zones ekpaideftikis proteraiotitas, ZEP), which promote equal inclusion in the education system for learners from areas with low educational and socio-economic indicators.

The education policy also aims to include refugee learners in education.

l. 4823/2021 provides for a Regional Council of Supervisors (PESEP) in all Regional Directorates of Primary and Secondary Education. The PESEP consists of Regional Supervisors of Quality in Education. It is responsible for education planning and support issues, training support, co-ordinating between different structures and overall school planning and self-evaluation.

Specialist support structures in mainstream schools

Providing free education to all citizens at all levels of the state education system is a principle of the Greek constitution. Education is compulsory from the age of 4 to 15. 

In recent years, the number of learners with a disability and/or special educational needs attending mainstream school settings has continually grown. From the 2014/2015 school year to the 2017/2018 school year, the number of learners attending mainstream schools and receiving some form of special educational support rose from 68,000 to 94,600 – an increase of 40%. This rate increased further in the 2018/2019 school year.

The dominant support structures to facilitate inclusion and joint education in mainstream schools for learners with SEN are KEDASY, EDY and SDEY.

Flexible individual support is provided through:

• inclusive classes in mainstream schools at primary, secondary and vocational education level;
• parallel support services in mainstream classrooms;
• free services for diagnosis, assessment and counselling (KEDASY, EDY);
• individual education plans;
• relevant in-service training for teachers and other participants with special focus on issues of differentiation and accessibility (Institute of Education);
• accessible educational and instructional material (Institute of Education);
• school nurses and special support staff, who are provided on a one-to-one basis (4186/2013, art. 28, par. 18, Circular 49942/Δ3/08-05-2025; Law 3699/2008, art. 18, par. 1-2,as amended by article 56, Law 3966.2011; Circular, issued by the Deputy Minister, no. 49942/Δ3/08-05-2025);
• home tuition (Law 4186/2013, art. 28, pa. 8);
• participation in co-education programmes (Law 4368/2016, par. 3a, article 82).

In exceptional cases, learners with disabilities that are unable to follow the mainstream education programme are referred to special educational needs units.

KEDASY recommendations of appropriate school settings are not binding, and parents are free to choose their child’s school of their child, taking KEDASY’s recommendations into consideration.

Law 4368/2016 (Article 82) (GG 21 A/2016) stresses the need to educate all learners in mainstream classes alongside their peers. It states that the main aim of inclusion classes is full inclusion of learners with special education needs and/or disabilities in the school environment.

Inclusive class teachers support learners within the mainstream classroom, in co-operation with the class teachers. They differentiate activities and educational practices and adapt educational materials and environment. One-to-one support in a separate room is only provided if required by the learner’s special needs. In this case, the main target of the teaching intervention is future full inclusion of the learner in the mainstream class.

Law 4368/2016 also promotes the implementation of co-education programmes between special and mainstream schools. These aim to promote inclusion and equal opportunities in education, develop the cognitive, learning, affective and social skills of learners with disabilities and/or special needs and develop awareness of human rights, respect for diversity and human dignity in mainstream education.

Law 4823/2021 (GG A136/3-8-2021) organises interdisciplinary support for special education.

As regards school education, management and governance fall under:

• The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (central level)
• The regional directorates of primary and secondary education (regional level)
• The primary directorates of education and the secondary directorates of education (prefecture level)
• School units.

At the central level, the Minister of Education is supported by collective and advisory bodies and institutions. They take the key decisions relating to the long-term objectives and operation of the education system. For instance, the following issues are regulated centrally:

• Definition of curricula content
• Learner textbooks authorship and distribution
• Allocation of teaching time
• Teacher education and initial teacher training
• Allocation of teachers and other school staff
• Teacher salaries and school financing.

There are 13 regions throughout the country. At regional level, the regional education directorates exercise administrative control. They refer directly to the Minister of Education and oversee the implementation of national educational policy. The regional education directorates are responsible for the administration and the scientific and pedagogical guidance of education in the region. They tailor national education policy to match the specific requirements of the region and link the regional educational services with the central education authorities.

At local level (prefecture), education policy is implemented and specified by the directorates of primary and secondary education, under the competence of the regional directorate of education, and school units under the competence of the relevant directorate of education.

At prefecture level, the Regional Service Councils for Primary Education (PYSPE) and the Regional Service Councils for Secondary Education (PYSDE) are staffed by the regional directors of primary and secondary education. They are in charge of teachers’ professional status issues.

According to Ministerial Decision (45120/24,Goverment Gazette 3229 B/6-6-2024) the administrative bodies at school level are the school head, the deputy head and the teachers’ board. They are also supported by the school committee, the municipal committee of education and parents’ associations, etc.

Within municipalities, a Municipal Education Committee consists of representatives from the municipality, the parents’ association, school heads and teachers’ unions. The committee makes proposals to the mayor and the municipal council on issues regarding the organisation of schools in their area, allocation of resources for operational expenses in schools, and the construction, repair and maintenance of school buildings. 

School committees are municipal or community legal entities. Each committee covers one or more state primary or secondary schools, depending on local need.

The municipalities are also responsible for state childcare and childcare centres. These operate as legal entities of public law under Joint Ministerial Decision 41087/29-11-2017, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Municipal infant/childcare and childcare centres are funded by the municipalities and by parent fees.

Law 4823/2021 on upgrading the education system gives schools greater autonomy in organising teaching and planning and assessing their work. It aims to: 

• create a pyramid advisory and monitoring system; 
• promote school autonomy, although the Greek education system remains highly centralised; 
• create support systems; 
• increase accountability. 

Among other legislative initiatives, the law reforms the supportive educational structures, making them more inclusion-focused. 

It also reformed the Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support. The Centres aim to: 

• identify institutional (and not just individual) barriers to learning at all levels; 
• provide psycho-social support to all learners, including those with disabilities; 
• build capacity in mainstream schools so that they respond more effectively to all learners’ diverse needs.

The law also promoted the reorganisation of the School Network of Education and Support (SDEY) and Interdisciplinary Support Committee (EDY) institutions, which were renamed and re-established to be more focused on inclusion.

Private education

Private primary and secondary education schools do not belong to the state. Natural or legal persons establish and maintain them, with operation licences granted by the Minister of Education.

Private schools fall under the competence of the Ministry of Education, which supervises and controls them through regional administration bodies (primary and secondary education directorates), in the same way as state schools. Law 682/1977 states that private and public education include the same types of schools. 

In the context of reorganising/reinforcing interdisciplinary support, the main structures facilitating inclusion are Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASY), Interdisciplinary Support Committees (EDY – formerly EDEAY) and Networks of Educational Support (SDEY).

KEDASYs support learners, school units and School Lab Centres to ensure equal access to education of all learners without exception, and psycho-social development and progress (Law 4823/2021). They

• explore and evaluate all learners’ educational and psycho-social needs, learning difficulties and obstacles, and barriers to equal access to education. This includes learners with disability and/or special educational needs and learners from vulnerable social groups. KEDASYs assess and identify needs and suggest appropriate school settings, methods to support the learning process, differentiated learning, technical aids and advanced technology services and examination types.
• plan and implement targeted educational and psycho-social interventions and vocational (career) guidance services for learners and their parents or legal guardians. These include individual educational plans, adjusted individual or group interventions, counselling and psycho-social support for learners, teachers and parents. These are planned and implemented in co-operation with the learner’s teachers and the school EDYs.
• support the overall educational work of all the school units on issues of preventing school drop-out and creating a safe and supportive school culture that favours the psycho-social health and emotional well-being of learners. They implement prevention and mental health promotion programmes and strengthen school communication and co-operation with families and psychological and social support services.
• provide information and training to the school community on innovative national, European or international actions and programmes on psycho-social issues and changes in the educational system.
• raise community awareness by promoting partnerships among schools, families, scientific and social institutions, local authorities and universities on issues of diversity and psycho-social health.

EDYs operate in each school unit belonging to a School Network of Educational Support (SDEY) and are involved in educational evaluation and support for learners and the school community. They:

• evaluate learners’ difficulties and educational and psycho-social obstacles to learning;
• refer learners to KEDASYs if they continue to have difficulties despite being supported within the school and attending a short-term intervention programme;
• specify the core axes of learners’ individual educational plan and monitor their implementation in co-operation with teachers;
• support the school teachers to respond to learners’ heterogeneity with pedagogical methods, such as differentiated instruction and other alternative forms of learning. They also support the whole school community on issues such as school drop-out, school violence and crisis situations;
• organise special training programmes for parents to raise awareness on relevant issues;
• co-operate with the municipality’s psycho-social and health services or the relevant judicial authorities in case of mental health problems, child abuse or parental neglect.

SDEYs can comprise school units and School Lab Centres from all levels of mainstream, special and vocational education. SDEYs aim to empower and promote collaboration and co-ordination across schools and School Lab Centres to ensure equal access to education for all learners.

In general terms, flexible individual support is provided by:

• establishing inclusive classes in mainstream schools at primary, secondary and vocational education level);
• providing parallel support services in mainstream classrooms;
• establishing free services for diagnosis, assessment and counselling (SDEYs, KEDASYs and EDYs);
• providing and implementing individual education plans (Law 5224/2025, par.1, art 117);
• providing relevant in-service training for teachers and other educators, with special focus on differentiation and accessibility (Institute of Educational Policy);
• designing accessible educational and instructional material (Institute of Educational Policy);
• providing school nurses on a one-to-one basis (Law 3699/2008, art. 18, par. 1–2, as modified and enforced by Circular 91409/D3/3-6-2016).

To increase the capacity of schools to respond to the diversity of needs of all learners, a series of non-material reasonable accommodations are provided. These include:

• special arrangements for learners with disabilities regarding attendance. They can be absent from school for 30% more than the standard time allowed for absence if they receive therapy or rehabilitation treatment certified by a state hospital or another public medical institution (Law 3699/2008, par. 3, article 6, as modified and enforced by Law 4547/18, art. 51);
• special arrangements regarding examination procedures. Law 4547/2018 (art. 7) allows written exams to be replaced by oral or other forms of exams for some categories of disability during primary and secondary, post-secondary, tertiary (university entering national A level exams) and National Foreign Language Exam System exams;
• special provision regarding the examination mark of the second foreign language (Law 4452/2017, art. 11). For learners with disabilities and/or SEN who attend primary and secondary general and vocational education schools, the examination mark of the second foreign language is not counted in the final grade calculation. This provision is available at the parents’ request;
• special provisions regarding university entrance. Learners with severe medical conditions may enter universities up to 5% over the allocated number of newly enrolled learners, if they have successfully graduated from an upper-secondary school at home or abroad (Law 4547/2018, article 108).

Learners with disabilities or special educational needs who have an evaluation report from KEDASY and attend primary or secondary general or vocational education schools may be distributed into classes in the same grade level within their school as follows:

• Each class can have a maximum of one learner with disabilities or special educational needs (excluding learners with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyslexia-related reading disorders and dysorthographia). If there is more than one of these learner per class across the grade, the total number of learners in that class can be reduced by up to three, provided that the school does not have a special education support class or have a co-teaching parallel support educator in the class.
• Each class can have a maximum of four learners with specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyslexia-related reading disorders and dysorthographia). If there are more than four of these learners per class across the grade, the total number of learners in that class can be reduced by up to three, provided that the school does not have a special education support class or have a co-teaching parallel support educator in the class.

The Regional Director of Primary and Secondary Education decides on these reductions in class size, following a recommendation from the relevant Director of Education. The Director of Education considers the decision of the teachers’ council and the opinion of Special Education and Inclusive Education Counsellors and the Pedagogical Responsibility Counsellors when making the decision.

The Ministry of Education,Religious Affairs and Sports has primary responsibility for education, but other ministries are involved in some branches of education:

• Hellenic Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance – private pre-primary education and care settings, vocational training schools (ESK) and vocational apprenticeship schools (EPAS);
• Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports – higher schools of dramatic art;
• Hellenic Ministry of the Interior – early childhood care settings: municipal infant centres (vrefikoi stathmoi), infant/child centres (vrefonipiakoi stathmoi) and child centres (paidikoi stathmoi);
• Hellenic Ministry of Tourism – touristic academies;
• Hellenic Ministry of Health – vocational training institutes of the National Emergency Aid Centre;
• Hellenic Ministry of National Defence – military academies.

The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports is the central administrative body across all fields, agencies and levels of the education system.

The government defines education policy at the central level, and sets out the general policy in different policy areas. The Minister of Education is responsible for shaping the education policy and for monitoring its implementation, as well as for administering all the sectors, services and levels of the education system. The Minister prepares the bills and presidential decrees regulating the educational system and issues the relevant ministerial decisions through the administrative services and the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs advisors.

Parliament assumes legislative work and enforces parliamentary control. The Standing Committee on Cultural and Educational Affairs, competent on matters of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, develops and examines bills or law proposals. It may also exercise legislative work and parliamentary control.

To perform their duties, the Minister may be assisted by the Alternate Minister or the Deputy Minister(s), provided that responsibilities between them are distinct.

The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs includes four separate General Secretariats which are run by General Secretaries:

• General Secretariat for Primary, Secondary and Special Education
• General Secretariat for Higher Education
• General Secretariat for Vocational Education, Training, Lifelong Learning and Youth
• General Secretariat for Religious Affairs.

In shaping policy, the Ministry’s cabinet may be supported by collective consultative/advisory bodies which are set up at national level. These bodies provide policy advice for school and higher education, lifelong learning, science and the arts. 

In this framework, the Council for the National Policy on Education may be set up and operate as an advisory body to the Minister of Education. Its members are former Ministers of Education. The president of the council is the current Minister of Education.

The following bodies, supervised by the Ministry of Education, play an essential role in shaping and implementing the educational policy:

• The Institute of Educational Policy (IEP), an executive scientific and research body that supports the Ministry of Education in matters regarding primary and secondary education, teacher training, higher education, post upper-secondary education, tackling learner inequalities, school drop-out and early school leaving, with the objective to assure the right to education for all learners. IEP assists the Ministry in assessing educational work and evaluating school units and teachers (Laws 3966/2011, 4763/2020).
• The Computer Technology Institute and Press DIOPHANTUS is a research and technological institution that promotes research and the effective application of communication technologies in the field of education. It particularly focuses on developing and application of conventional and digital media in education and lifelong learning, publishing printed (school books) and electronic educational material, administration and management of the Greek school network, and supporting the Ministry’s and educational units’ electronic infrastructure (Law 3966/2011).
• The National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP) develops and implements an integrated national certification system of non-formal education (initial, continuing vocational training and general adult education). It also supports scientifically the vocational guidance and counselling services in Greece. EOPPEP operates as the national co-ordination point for the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the national reference point for quality assurance. It represents Greece in the European network for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET). (Laws 4115/2013, 4763/2020).
• The Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation (INEVIDIM) implements actions, programmes and projects on lifelong learning and youth, with emphasis on supporting innovation. It also manages issues related to learner welfare law 4115/2013). 

Pursuant to Law 4823/2021, the Regional Education Quality Supervisor and the Quality Assurance Authority in Primary and Secondary Education are other bodies responsible for policy development.

State bodies (such as Ministry of Health, Social Welfare, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour) provide care to children from 0 to 6 years of age, in addition to private bodies (institutions, non-governmental organisations, etc.). Each has its own operating rules and provides services to a different age group (0–4, 2–6 or 0–6). Law 4823/2021 refers to the collaboration of Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASY) and the Interdisciplinary Support Committees (EDY).

Educators and the EDY collaborate to tailor individual or group interventions focused on educational and psycho-social counselling support for learners. This is done through educational intervention and prevention programmes, targeted actions to enhance learners’ cognitive and psycho-social skills, empowerment initiatives for specific individuals or vulnerable groups within the school community, and actions to foster personal development opportunities, strengthen self-esteem and improve learners’ overall quality of life.

Law 1566/1985 (GG A 167/85) states that learners in secondary education should participate in the organisation of school life and school events by creating school communities.

The right to be heard/to participation (Art. 12 UNCRC; Arts. 7 and 30 UNCRPD). The right of children to express their views freely on all issues affecting them is protected in the Greek legal order. The Civil Code provides that the child’s opinion should be sought in custody and adoption cases before the Court. Learners also have the right to participate in school life through school communities, and their views should be considered in the drafting of programmes raising awareness on various issues.

Shared responsibility between schools, families and other parts of the community is essential to ensure that all learners are encouraged and supported in the education process. Stakeholders from the Greek Ministry of Education, local school boards, schools, Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASY), the Interdisciplinary Support Committee (EDY) and the community are all responsible for working together to allow all learners to succeed and schools to be empowered.

Parental participation

Law 1566/1985 (GG A 167/85), partly amended by par. 51, Law 4415/16 (GG 159 A/2016) and Ministerial Decision (45120/24,Government Gazette 3229 B/6-6-2024) established a legal system for parental participation in education. Representatives of parents’ associations participate as members in: National Council of Education, Prefectural Council of Education, Municipal Committee of Education, School Council, School Committee (Law 1566/85, article 52).

A prerequisite for parent participation in these councils and committees is the formation and function of the parents’ associations as official legal bodies. Parent representatives for these councils and committees are selected at a general meeting of each school’s association members. The parents’ associations within each municipality form a Parents’ Union, in which at least one member represents each parents’ association. The parents’ associations of a prefecture form a Federation of Parents, in which each Parents’ Union is represented by at least one member. The Federations of Parents of the whole country constitute a Confederation of Parents, in which each Federation of Parents is represented by at least one member.

In addition, in general and special education schools, parents have the right to be elected as members in the parents’ association’s main governance body, the administrative council. Law 1566/1985 states that the members of the administrative council take part in the teachers’ board which is a broader governance body of the school unit and includes teachers, representatives of school communities and a representative from the local authority. Within this framework, parents give their opinion regarding the planning and evaluation of schools’ educational work.

Learners with disabilities/SEN

Law 3699/2008, par. 7 (GG 199/A/2008): The disability movement and parents/guardians of persons with disabilities are given a greater say in special education planning and implementation. For example, the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities participates in the National Council of Education.

Learners with disabilities and their parents have a say over the drafting of their individual educational plans (IEPs), along with the interdisciplinary team of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Assessment Counselling and Support (Law 4823/2021). In this sense, learners co-design the educational plan that fits them best, along with parents and experts. The basic axes of the individual plans are specified as short-term and long-term goals at school level by the Interdisciplinary Support Committee or by the school’s educational support team. The educational support team and the class teachers are responsible for effectively implementing the individual educational plan goals.

Parents and families also participate in designing and implementing learners’ transition programmes. Parental consent is required for referring a learner to support services or to a pull-out programme (Law 4823/2021; ΦΕΚ _136/3-8-2021 and Rules of operation for EDY ΦΕΚ Β? 5009/27-10-21).

School committees

A board governs school committees. School committees must include the school head/heads, representatives from parents’ associations and a secondary learner representative. School committees manage resources allocated for the schools’ operational expenses and adopt measures to support the administrative management of school units.

The academic and educational community, scientific associations and trade unions, society and social expression media, and the educational unit itself significantly influence educational policy planning at the central level. Schools provide central authorities with valuable information on their operation and the services they offer.

Law 4823/2021 and the Rules of Operation of EDY describe the co-operation between the school community and social services and the wider community. The aim is to provide comprehensive support to learners and families and ease their participation in education.

Many KEDASYs and schools co-operate to prioritise evaluation and support processes for learners from refugee structures and organisations such as ‘Smile of the Child’.

For example, the ‘Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative’ is a multifaceted national-level intervention. It aims to strengthen the child mental health care system, ensure access to quality mental health services, and empower all professional roles that interact with children and adolescents in matters of mental health. According to Law 5015/2023, the initiative is part of the national strategy to enhance the mental health of children and adolescents in Greece.

A nationwide network of organisations and professionals developed the initiative in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute, and with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). The initiative has led to a basic training programme, ‘Mental Health Literacy for Children and Adolescents’, for educators of all levels and members of the school community. The programme provides educators with basic knowledge of child and adolescent mental health, skills for identifying early signs of mental health difficulties, tools and strategies for supporting learners, and guidance on referring children to appropriate mental health services.

Several legal and regulatory provisions make it compulsory to give families a role at every stage of education and schooling (e.g. par. 1, article 11 and par. 1, article 13 of Presidential Decree 201/98 (GG 161, issue A), article 53, Law 1566/85 (GG A 167/85), article 51, 4415/16 and articles 37, 38 and 39 of Ministerial Decision GC353.1/324/105657/D1/16-10-2002 (GG 1340, issue B)). Parents have the right to communication from the school and to consult with teachers. Teachers are required to inform parents of their children’s progress and performance at school. School staff may also have joint meetings with parents’ and learners’ representatives to discuss more general issues. School counsellors may meet with parents to discuss matters such as education, learning and co-operation between school and family. 

Public schools are funded exclusively by the Greek State through the Regular Budget and the National Public Investments Programme.

Permanent teaching staff payroll is covered by the Ministry of Education Regular Budget. Schools’ operational expenditure is covered by the municipalities, which are financed by the Ministry of Interior budget. At the local level, the funding is managed by school committees within the respective municipality.

Government and European programmes fund education for: 

• learners with disabilities and/or special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream and special schools and special support services;
• learners from other vulnerable groups.

School committees

School committees (Scholikes Epitropes) were abolished in June 2024, according to Law 5056/2023. par. 1 & 2, art. 28. However, municipalities with over 100 schools can still have school committees, on the condition the Municipal Council approves.

School committees manage resources allocated by the Ministry of the Interior to cover operational costs in primary and secondary schools. The Ministry of the Interior allocates funds to the municipalities based on the number of classes in school buildings (30%) and the number of learners (70%). The funds allocated by the Ministry of the Interior for transferring learners are also managed at regional level.

Schools in Greece are not autonomous in the following aspects, which are decided centrally by the supreme educational authorities: 

• using public resources for capital expenditure, for any purchases and acquisition of electronic equipment;
• fundraising, sponsorships and donations, renting school premises for activities beyond the school schedule and loans;
• using private resources for purchasing movable and immovable assets or for recruiting teaching and non-teaching staff.

Instead, two school committees (one for primary and one for secondary education) have autonomy in terms of managing the operating expenses of the schools in their area of responsibility.

The school committee revenues come from municipal subsidies, school property proceeds, contributions, donations, legacies and bequests and other legitimate sources.

The school committees determine the specific funds made available to every school head to meet the schools’ operational needs.

Learners with SEN

Inclusive policies are supported by the National Investment Programme and ESPA projects. The modification of the ‘Programme for the Development and Strengthening of Interdisciplinary Advisory and Support Structures and Learning Support/Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and/or Special Educational Needs for Equal Access and Inclusion in Education’ with Code OPS 6001498 in the Program ‘Attica 2021-2027’ (ESPA 2021–2027), supports and strengthens inclusive education and empowers learners with disabilities or SEN in mainstream schools. It aims to ensure their inclusion and equal participation in educational and social life, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the National Action Plan for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also considers the priorities of the European Child Guarantee and the National Action Plan for the Rights of the Child.

The National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) implemented several distinct actions in its 2014–2020 operational programme ‘Development of Human Resources in Education and Lifelong Learning’, funded by the European Social Fund and the Greek public sector. These actions supported inclusive policies such as: 

• individualised support for learners in mainstream schools (parallel support, special support personnel, school nurses);
• strengthening special schools, inclusive classes and their supportive structures (Centres for Educational and Counselling Support, School Networks of Educational Support, Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committees) by recruiting appropriate personnel;
• developing digital, accessible educational material for primary education for learners with disabilities and/or SEN.

Transport from home to school for learners with disabilities and/or SEN is funded by the municipalities and regions or by means of a public agreement on the provision of services.

The Public Investment Programme of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs covers special support equipment in special schools for learners with SEN. This includes technology and other equipment to facilitate access to knowledge for learners with disabilities.

An integrated and holistic quality assurance system in pre-primary, primary and secondary general and vocational education includes internal and external evaluation at three levels:

• educational system;
• educational administrative staff;
• educational unit.

Law 4823/2021 on issues of assessment introduced an institutionalised, integrated framework for monitoring and controlling the evaluation of executives and teachers.

It also states that the following are involved in monitoring education:

• principals or heads of the school unit;
• education counsellors of school units within their pedagogical responsibility;
• education quality supervisors;
• regional education quality supervisors.

The central educational planning bodies for primary and secondary education (Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Institute of Educational Policy, Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education) evaluate primary and secondary education funding, learners’ performance, transition to employment and school drop-out rates. These are implemented at regional and national level. Greece also participates in evaluations through the OECD and other European and international networks and organisations.

Schools must regularly submit learner, teacher and school data to the MySchool database.

Using data to support system improvement is an emerging practice (see Law 4823/2021). 

The Institute of Educational Policy carries out focused evaluation studies at national and regional level. The Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE) assesses educational quality, evaluates implementation processes and reports on system priorities to the Ministry of Education.

Law 4369/2016 provides for the evaluation of the decentralised bodies of the Ministry of Education, as well as for the evaluation of bodies under the supervision of the Ministry, with administrative competences in issues of primary and secondary education. 

Legislation (Law 4823/2021) has been introduced aiming to establish a new assessment and inspection structure and process.

Permanently-appointed teachers are evaluated every four years. The education scientific consultant evaluates their general and special teaching of their school subject/subjects, and the director of the school unit evaluates their pedagogical climate and classroom management. Their service consistency and adequacy is also evaluated every two years by the school principal or head and the education pedagogical consultant.

Law 4692/2020, as modified and enforced by Law 4823/2021, establishes evaluation of teaching and instruction, as well as overall evaluation of teachers who serve at model and experimental schools. Internal and external evaluation is carried out in model and experimental schools to continuously improve the quality of educational work and educational results.

Law 4547/2018 establishes an evaluation system for teachers who serve as officials in positions of education. The purpose is to improve performance and the quality of public education.

There are also teachers who serve on the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the Institute of Educational Policy and other bodies. The teachers perform administrative duties and are evaluated according to the provisions of the system for the evaluation of civil servants (Law 4369/2016).

Teacher self-evaluation

At the beginning of each school year until 15 October, education staff prepare an action plan for their work, which considers educational policy priorities as well as their own initiatives. The plan can be modified during the school year if appropriate or required by the school’s operating conditions.

At the end of each school year and until 31 August, the educational staff prepare a report on their activities. They evaluate the implementation of their planning, identifying modifications to the original design and the reasons for them, as well as the results and conclusions of their actions (Law 4823/2021).

National quality assurance bodies are an important component of governance at central level. These bodies set quality standards, perform evaluations, and shape and implement policies and standards to improve the quality of education. They are independent administrative agencies supervised by the Minister of Education, who exercises control of legality. Each year, they submit annual activity reports to the Minister of Education.

There are two structures:

• The Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE) works to ensure high-quality primary and secondary education. It evaluates the quality of the education system and supports the Ministry of Education in improving the national strategy for primary and secondary education, aiming at learners’ successful transition to post-secondary education, careers and lifelong learning (Laws 4142/2013, as modified and enforced by Law 4547/2018).
• The Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) aims to ensure high quality in higher education. It is a continuation of the Hellenic Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (HQA), which was established in 2006. The Authority is managed by its president and supreme council. HAHE contributes to the national strategy for higher education and the distribution of financing for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and evaluates and accredits HEIs’ operational quality. It is a member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) (Law 4653/2020).

The Institute of Educational Policy, ADIPPDE and the regional education quality supervisor collaborate on issues of quality assurance and accountability (Law 4823/2021).

Accountability mechanisms include:

• Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASY), which aim to:
  • identify institutional (and not just individual) barriers to learning at all levels;
  • provide psycho-social support to all learners, including learners with disabilities;
  • build capacity of mainstream schools so that they respond more effectively to all learners’ diverse needs.
• School Networks of Educational Support (SDEY) and Interdisciplinary Support Committee (EDY) (article 39, Law 4115/2013 and Law 4823/2021);
• the role of special schools as support centres and the re-organisation of the SDEY and EDY. 

Various information systems collect data from schools, such as data on teaching staff, learner population and flow, building infrastructure, etc. The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs uses this data in its standard operations (transfers, secondments, appointments) and to monitor education and update education and social development indicators (e.g. OECD indicators).

Primary and secondary schools must regularly submit learner, teacher and school data to the MySchool national database. MySchool is the main tool used for staff and learner administration, classes, grades and everyday school activity. Data is provided by school unit, gender, age, school grade, (local) directorate of education and region.

MySchool aims to provide a unified computing infrastructure, in accordance with internationally established e-Government standards. It:

• provides free digitalisation for all public and private school units and other educational institutions;
• develops digital transaction workflows for effective and reliable execution of administrative procedures;
• provides decision-making support through digital data processing across the entire territory at a central level, providing reliable support for administrative decisions and educational planning;
• is inter-operable with other public sector bodies and systems.

European Agency Statistics on Inclusive Education data tables

Initial education and professional development for primary and secondary education teachers falls under the higher education university sector. All teachers in primary education, including kindergarten and elementary school, and secondary education hold at least a first cycle degree (Law 4589/2019).

Law 3699/2008, as modified and enforced by Law 4473/2017, states that all teachers who provide support to learners with disabilities on an individual basis (parallel support, inclusive classes, teachers who work in special schools or in the KEDASY must have special education qualifications. These must be high standards of qualifications, i.e. academic qualifications (MA or PhD).

Mainstream teachers also acquire qualifications on individualised support for learners with disabilities and inclusive education through Master’s degrees, training seminars and distance learning programmes provided by universities and other certified institutions. 

Training in modified forms of communication is an additional qualification for placement in special school units for learners with autism.

Special Needs Educational Advisors and General Educational Advisors support teachers in their work and provide professional learning programmes (including in-service training) on contemporary scientific, pedagogical, teaching and evaluation matters. At least fifteen hours of training seminars are held at the school unit level per school year. After completion of each training seminar, the director or head of the school provides teachers with a certificate of attendance, which is registered in the individual teacher’s digital service record (Law 4823/2021, articles 95–96).

The Institute of Educational Policy carries out several teacher training programmes covering a wide range of educational staff needs. The Institute designs the national strategy for teacher training and monitors its implementation. It evaluates, assesses and identifies the need for such programmes and conducts or proposes studies and research on issues related to teacher professional development. It also organises dissemination and publicity events to communicate the outcomes of training actions. (Law 4763/2020, article 96, and 5128/2024, articles 71–72).

See Teacher education and professional development section.

The school headteacher has administrative and scientific-pedagogical responsibility over the school community. They are responsible for the school’s smooth operation, co-ordinating school life, complying with laws, circulars and official mandates, and implementing teachers’ board decisions. They are also responsible, in co-operation with the teachers’ board, for planning and assessing the school’s educational work and preparing and implementing integrated action plans to improve it.

The deputy head assists the headteacher in their daily work and assume some of the head’s responsibilities.

According to GC353.1/324/105657/D1/2002, the main duties of the school headteacher are: 

• establishing of close and effective co-operation between all members of the school community; 
• promoting innovative practice; 
• establishing a positive school climate and ethos.

The following legislation defines how education management is selected and evaluated, and their duties and powers:

• Ministerial Decree F.353.1./324/105657/D1/08-10-2018 (G.G. 1340, Issue 2, 16-10-2002) ‘Division of competences of Primary and Secondary Education Regional Services Supervisors, School Heads and their Deputies, Laboratory Centres Heads and their Deputies and Teacher Boards’
• Ministerial Decree 29195/GDE/19-02-2016 (G.G. 394 Issue 2, 19-02-2016) Αmendment of Ministerial Decree F.353.1./324/105657/D1/08-10-2018 (G.G. 1340,Issue 2, 16-10-2002) ‘Division of competences of Primary and Secondary Education Regional Services Supervisors, School Heads and their Deputies, Laboratory Centres Heads and their Deputies and Teacher Boards’
• Ministerial Decree 27922/G6/2007 (G.G. 449/Issue 2/03-04-2007) ‘Division of competences’, as modified and in force by Ministerial Decree 48275/Δ3/19 (ΦΕΚ 1088 Β/2-4-2019), relating to: 
  • Educational Staff in Special Schools units (SMEA) of Primary and Secondary Education (Special Schools, inclusion classes) and Special Education programmes (Parallel Support and tuition at home
  • Special Educational Personnel and Special Assistance Personnel at Special School units of Primary and Secondary Education
• Law 3699/2016 ‘Special Education and Education for People with Disabilities and/or Special Educational Needs’ (GG 199, Issue 1, 02-10-2016)
• Law 1566/1985 ‘Structure and operation of primary and secondary education and other provisions’ (G.G. 167 Issue 1/30-09-1985)
• Presidential Decree No 79/2017 ‘Organisation and operation of nursery and primary schools’

The 2021 law on upgrading schools (4823/2021) strengthens the role of teachers in educational management positions. It establishes a distributed leadership model, with roles such as in-school co-ordinators, mentors, deputy principals (recommended by the principal), liaison officers for apprenticeship in special vocational schools, etc.

Early childhood education

The leaders of early childhood education settings are usually teachers that have the additional responsibility of performing the administrative work in the school. As the most experienced teachers in the school, they may act as consultants to the other teachers if they have experience or training in inclusive classrooms, but it is not their duty to do so.

Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committees (EDYs, formerly Diagnostic Educational Evaluation and Support Committees) (Law 4823/2021) operate in each school unit belonging to a School Network of Educational Support (SDEY). EDYs are competent bodies for educational evaluation and learner and school community support.

EDYs evaluate learners’ difficulties and educational, psycho-social and other obstacles to learning. If learners keep having difficulties despite being supported within the school and attending a short-term intervention programme, EDYs refer them to the Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support Centres (KEDASYs).

Law 4823/2021 states that KEDASYs are responsible for supporting school units to ensure equal access to education for all learners without exception. The KEDASY multidisciplinary team assesses all learners’ needs, including those with disabilities, as needed. The team works closely with the learner and their family. At school level, EDYs assess all learners’ needs, including those with disabilities.

For learners with special educational needs or psycho-social difficulties, the school devises a short-term intervention programme, with support from the Interdisciplinary Support Committees (EDY). The EDY consists of the school head, psychologist, social worker, special education teacher and class teacher. EDYs are responsible for preparing and implementing short-term intervention programmes, specifying the main axes of the learners’ individual education plans and supporting and monitoring learners’ educational and psycho-social processes. 

If an EDY does not exist, short-term intervention programmes are undertaken by the educational support team, formed by the teachers’ assembly and supported by KEDASY. The educational support team consists of the school head, the special education teacher in charge of communication with KEDASY and the class teacher.

The results of short-term interventions are recorded. If the results are positive, the procedure is complete. If the results are not positive, the school unit contacts the KEDASY, which carries out individual evaluations and issues reports. This process can be initiated by the school’s EDY, the learner’s parent or guardian, or the school with parental consent. Evaluations are always conducted with parental consent.

The reports describe specific needs and propose appropriate school settings and support. This support may include assistive aids, learning materials, communication aids, and special needs teachers. The reports also address transitions between educational settings and are accompanied by individual education plans, co-designed by learners, parents and experts. The educational support team and class teachers are responsible for implementing these plans.

KEDASY teachers are also responsible for learner referrals, conducting evaluations and interventions, conducting training and awareness actions, implementing vocational guidance programmes, and proposing the axes of the short-term intervention programme (Law 4823/2021).

Community Mental Health Centres for Children and Adolescents of the Ministry of Health, which are certified by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, can also evaluate learners (Law 4823/2021, Law 4547/2018, article 51 that amends Law 3699/2008, articles 4 and 5).

Pre-primary education

Ministerial Decision 85317/Δ3/29-05-2019 states that special education pre-primary schools (nipiagogeia) must include organised inter-disciplinary and experiential activities, individual education programmes, free or structured play and breakfast. They aim to develop learners’ communicative, cognitive, social and emotional skills.

Primary education

The primary education curriculum is drawn up by the Institute for Educational Policy (ΙΕP). The IEP is responsible for delivering opinions or recommendations on issues related to primary education programmes, school textbooks and other teaching materials. The curriculum is implemented in all schools across the country.

The current primary education national curriculum is based on the Cross-Thematic Curriculum Framework for Compulsory Education (DEPPS) (Ministerial Decisions 21072β/Γ2/28-2-2003 and 21072α/Γ2/28-2-2003, as modified and in force). Ministerial Decision 85317/Δ3/29-05-2019 states that the teachers’ board implements the appropriate detailed curriculum for each grade and level.

Presidential Decree 462/1991 (GG 171/1991) introduced ‘compensatory education’ in primary schools. This is a special teaching provision for learners with difficulties in modern Greek and mathematics, where teachers judge whether a learner needs additional teaching help. The aim is to develop an independent supportive curriculum for groups of learners with learning gaps or problems in primary education, to re-include them in the learning process. 

Presidential Decree 301/1996 established a general special education detailed curriculum framework. To select a suitable detailed curriculum, learners’ special educational needs must be considered. The board decides whether to use the Framework of the Analytical Curriculum for Special Education (PAPEA), the DEPPS, the primary detailed curriculum (APS), or a combination of them all (Ministerial Decision 85317/D3/2019).

Lower-secondary education

Presidential Decree 169770/Δ2/12-10-2016 (article 1)(GG 3406/16) introduced auxiliary tutoring (AT). This is where lower-secondary school learners attend a separate support programme in modern Greek language, ancient Greek language and literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry or English. Learners in all grades of lower-secondary school can participate in the AT programme. It aims to limit the drop-out rate and increase the percentage of learners gaining access to upper-secondary school.

Minority and intercultural schools

The minority educational system for Greek Muslims in Thrace is defined by Greek legislation, and was reformulated by Ministerial Decision 103672/Ζ2/Α.Σ.781/4-12-2006.

Minority schools are bilingual, with both Greek and Turkish used as languages of instruction. The curriculum aligns with the public school curriculum, but emphasises and promotes the minority’s cultural and linguistic background.

Intercultural schools also follow the same curricula as mainstream public schools, with adaptations to the particular educational, social and cultural needs of its learners (Law 2413/1996, Article 34).

Inclusive education is mainly promoted by: 

• establishing inclusive classes in mainstream schools at primary, secondary and vocational education levels; 
• providing parallel support services in mainstream classrooms; 
• establishing free services for assessment and counselling with an inclusive focus (Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support Centres, KEDASY); 
• providing school nurses on a one-to-one basis (4186/2013, Art. 28, Par. 16, 18, Circular 91409/D3/3-6-2016) and special support staff (Law 3699/2013, Art. 18, Par.1-2, as amended by Article 56, Law 3966.2011, and Circular, issued by the Deputy Minister, no. 90911/D3/9-6-2015); 
• allowing home tuition (Law 4186/2013, art. 28, par. 8., Ministerial Decision 27922/C6/8-3-2007 (GG 449); 
• recruiting Special and Inclusive Education Co-ordinators.

Psychologists and social workers are placed in schools to support socially vulnerable groups or implement psycho-social and emotional support programmes. Schools’ inclusive capacity has been further reinforced in recent years with psychologists and social workers in schools (Law 4485/2017). This was only previously possible within special education settings (Ministerial Decree 142628/ΓΔ4/30-8-2017).

Ministerial Decree 172877/D3/17-10-2016 (GG 3561 B/2016) makes provisions for close co-operation between special and mainstream schools and institutes the legal framework for implementing co-education programmes (e.g. health education, environmental, career education programmes, Erasmus projects). It gives learners with disabilities the opportunity to attend lessons in mainstream school settings alongside their non-disabled peers. This can serve as a springboard for transition of some of these learners from special to mainstream provision.

Law 3699/2008 states that it is mandatory to ensure accessibility provisions for learners with disabilities across the entire education system and implement universal design for all in education. Priority areas for actions within the Greek educational system include issues of accessibility to: 

• the physical environment (Law 4067/2012, Article 26);
• transportation;
• information and communication;
• curriculum;
• educational material;
• assessment;
• support services. 

Specific reasonable accommodations catering to the needs of individual learners are provided, alongside addressing the general accessibility of schools. 

Educational resources are available that can cater for different learners’ digital accessibility needs: 

• all existing primary and secondary education textbooks in Braille and all books from primary to upper-secondary school in various fonts for partially sighted learners;
• several school books and teacher books in accessible digital and easy to read formats for deaf learners, learners with autism and learners with intellectual disabilities;
• multimedia material for teaching Greek sign language in kindergarten and the first two grades of primary school, and educational software for various categories of disabilities.

These materials are available on the Institute of Educational Policy website and are made available to schools depending on the learners’ needs and at the schools’ request.

The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs also provides technical aids to learners (such as PCs and laptops with adequate software, Braille technology, assistive technology, etc.). These aids are free of charge, following a KEDASY recommendation.

The 2021 law on upgrading schools (4823/2021) gives schools greater autonomy:

• a choice of approved school textbooks, replacing the single state-determined textbook;
• autonomy in terms of the form, number and duration of learner assessment tests;
• autonomy to approve educational activities and programmes (previously, approval was required from the Ministry of Education);
• autonomy to organise educational peer groups. 

Child centres (Paidikoi Stathmoi) and infant/child centres (Vrefonipiakoi Stathmoi) provide education and safe accommodation for pre-school age children aged six months to five years. Law 2880/2001 (GG 9 A/2001) article 12 converted public child and infant centres into municipal and public entities which are supervised by municipalities and communities (Ministerial Decision 16065/17-04-2002).

In 2003 the national Curriculum for Early Childhood Education was introduced, which is implemented in all public early childhood education settings. It aims to ensure continuity of knowledge, eliminate fragmentation of knowledge and ensure greater autonomy for teachers.

Early childhood education in Greece is offered in: 

• pre-primary schools (Nipiagogeia) under the competence of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs; 
• child centres (Paidikoi Stathmoi); 
• infant/child centres (Vrefonipiakoi Stathmoi) under the auspices of local government organisations, as well as in respective private pre-primary education centres (Joint Ministerial Decree 134947 ΕΞ 2025 - ΦΕΚ 4127/Β/29-7-2025).

Pre-primary education and care offered in pre-primary schools is part of primary education. Pre-primary schools (Nipiagogeia) cater for children aged four and five; since 2006, attendance is compulsory for all four-year-old children.

The Curriculum for Early Childhood Education defines five areas of knowledge which guide teachers in planning and implementing meaningful activities for learners:

• The Child and Language
• The Child and Mathematics
• The Child and the Environment
• The Child and Creativity/Expression
• The Child and Information Technology. 

For each area the curriculum provides/suggests: 

• competences to be developed by the learner (for example, to be able to narrate); 
• content and suggested activities (for example, encourage the children to compose and narrate a story); 
• the fundamental concepts of the cross-thematic approach (for example, dimension).

Early childhood education uses alternative assessment methods instead of traditional methods that focus solely on knowledge areas. They emphasise the processes of acquiring knowledge and aim to highlight learners’ communication skills and acquired responsibilities through teamwork, research and critical thinking. 

Alternative assessment includes: 

• developing work plans; 
• learner assessment of the team; 
• learner portfolios.

Teachers are the main people responsible for monitoring and evaluating children’s participation. The national curriculum provides guidelines on how to perform this evaluation, but how each teacher actually implements and complies with the guidelines is not monitored. Parents and learners can and should be involved in the process, but the degree of involvement is not monitored and it is unclear if and how they participate.

Infant/child and child centres are obliged to monitor children’s health, with paediatricians visiting the centres every 15 days. The paediatrician updates each child’s health record and invites parents to informative gatherings related to children’s hygiene at least three times during the school year.

Special educational needs

Education of all learners, including learners with disabilities and/or SEN, is compulsory from the age of four. Kindergarten lasts for two years, but special kindergartens can be extended to the age of seven.

In kindergartens, where possible, support is provided for learners with disabilities (as defined by the law concerning special education) within general early childhood education classrooms. Support includes inclusive classrooms and parallel educational support teachers. In other cases, children either attend special kindergartens or are provided with home education.

Most children aged between 4 and 6 attend general education kindergarten, but some are referred to special schools. Assessment structures facilitate this decision. Medical and Pedagogical Centres, public hospitals or Centres for Education Evaluation and Diagnosis (KEDASY) assess children and identify their needs. Then, by law and in co-operation with the school, school counsellors decide on the appropriate educational environment for the child.

In classrooms where a child needs additional support, the state provides a specialist teacher either to support the individual child or to create an inclusive classroom. An inclusive classroom is created as part of the general classroom, where 3–6 learners with disabilities are enrolled and have support from a specialist teacher. 

In state kindergartens, teaching assistants are not provided for teachers.

Laws 3699/2008 and 4823/2021 provide for the design and implementation of early intervention programmes. Early intervention classes operate within special kindergartens to support children aged 4–7. KEDASY are officially responsible for preparing and supporting early intervention programmes (4823/2021, p.2, art. 229).

Law 3699/2008 (GG 199 A/2008) and Law 4823/2021, article 229, states that systematic interventions at pre-primary age are provided by special kindergartens through the development of early intervention classes. The Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) is responsible for designing early intervention programmes in special kindergartens, which become part of their curriculum. Inclusion objectives are achieved through early medical diagnosis and systematic interventions in early intervention classes provided by local special school units (Law 3699/2008, article 2, par. 6c).

Inter-ministerial co-operation promotes the implementation of early intervention programmes. For example, Joint Ministerial Decree No. 4510/2024 (Government Gazette B 6068/01.11.2024), ‘Pilot Early Childhood Intervention Program for Children Aged Zero (0) to Six (6) Years Old’, was signed by the Ministers of National Economy and Finance; Education, Religious Affairs and Sports; Health; Social Cohesion and Family; and Digital Governance. The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports will implement the pilot (Law 4997/2022, articles 51 and 52, Α’ 219).

Article 11 of this Joint Ministerial Decree provides details of the interconnections between the Early Childhood Intervention Programme and other Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports programmes for learners aged 4–6. The Joint Ministerial Decree also defines the co-operation methods of the Ministries involved.

Article 7 of Law 4823/2021 determines issues related to learner transition. It states that the regional board of supervisors is responsible for planning the smooth transition of learners to the next educational level. Additional transition issues are the responsibility of the KEDASY and the Interdisciplinary Support Committees.

Programmes for learners’ transition to another educational level or educational context are also implemented by Centres for Educational and Counselling Support KEDASY staff, in collaboration with teachers and parents (Law 4823/2021).

At the initiative of school principals and teachers, many schools implement transition programmes from one educational level to another for all learners through visits to the next education level.

Presidential Decree 79/2017 (GG 109A), article 14, paragraph 3, provides for co-operation between kindergarten and primary school to ensure the smooth transition of learners from one school level to another. Transition meetings between kindergarten and primary school staff ensure a continuum of education for learners.

The institutional framework for special education of learners with disabilities and special educational needs is laid down in Law 3699/2008 and the subsequent complementary laws 4115/2013 and 4186/2013, 4368/2016, 4415/2016, 4452/2017, 4547/2018, 4589/2019, 4638/2019, and Law 4713/2020, Law 4823/2021, Law 5224/2025.

Parents and guardians co-operate in transition programmes for learners in the sixth grade of special primary school (Article 10 of Ministerial Decision 79942/DG4/2019/FEK2005B). The Centre for Interdisciplinary Evaluation, Counselling and Support (KEDASY) ensures learners’ smooth transition to the appropriate secondary education framework.

In primary education, Presidential Decree 79/2017 provides for transition from special to mainstream education. Article 9 states that learners from special schools may enrol in mainstream classes if their parents wish and KEDASY recommends it.

The transition from special to mainstream education can sometimes be facilitated through co-education programmes between special and mainstream schools (Law 4368/2016, article 82). These are designed to implement the principles of inclusive education. The teachers’ board of the special or mainstream school choose co-curricula based on the learners’ needs.

Other bodies that offer support, counselling and vocational guidance to learners include the Counselling Service Offices for Youth (Ministerial Decree 806/12.2.1993), which aim to meet the psycho-social needs of the secondary school community.

Transition to the labour market

Apprenticeship is a subsidised programme lasting 9 months. It includes a workplace learning programme (four eight-hour days a week, totalling 156 days) and a speciality laboratory lessons programme (once a week, for seven teaching hours, at unified special vocational junior high schools – ΕΝ.Ε.E.GY.L, accompanied by a special education teacher).

EN.E.E.GY.L. graduates who hold a high school diploma and a vocational certificate may participate in the post-secondary apprenticeship class in accordance with Ministerial Decision No. 104602/Κ5/2024 (Government Gazette 5310/B/20-09-2024), ‘Regulation for the Operation of the Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class’.

In their final meeting of school year, EN.E.E.GY.L. teaching staff councils must submit a report for graduates they deem capable of participating in the apprenticeship class. This report must be officially submitted to the relevant KEDASY, after learners’ parents or guardians have been informed.

KEDASYs evaluate EN.E.E.GY.L. graduates to assess their eligibility to participate in the apprenticeship class, and issue the relevant reports/recommendations.

EN.E.E.GY.L. principals must inform the respective Regional Director of Education about the number of learners eligible to participate in the programme and the specialisms they have chosen. Principals also engage with the local community to support the apprenticeship class by securing apprenticeship placements in private sector organisations.