subject: Education In Greece [print this page] Education In Greece Education In Greece
Once you have made the decision to move to Greece one of the important task is finding a good quality education for your child or children.
Sending your children to a local school in Greece is a good idea, especially if your children are young as young children pick up languages very easily and an extra advantage being they can help you to learn the language.
You will need birth certificates of both parents and children to enrol them, and you will have to provide evidence that your child has had all the required vaccinations to date.
Older children need to prove they have attended school before and a letter from a former Head Teacher will be enough.
The Greek educational system consists of three levels: primary (dimotiko), secondary (gymnasio), and tertiary education level.
School life can begin at 2 years (pre- school) in both public and private institutions called vrefonipiakoi paidikoi stathmi (creches)
For pre-schoolers private nurseries do exist but can be expensive. Kindergarten begins at 4 years old and is free, you just need to buy things like paper, pencils and glue for them to take with them.
The first stage primary of compulsory education takes children from 5 to 12 years of age, the secondary educational level is also divided into two cycles, the lower level secondary is compulsory until the age of 15 when children may leave school, the next level upper secondary education is not compulsory and can be followed at the Unified Lyceums and Technical Vocational educational institutes.
Unlike with England a child will be expected to pass the school year otherwise they will be expected to repeat it until they pass. This gives the children greater motivation and they actually want to learn along with being grateful for their school place.
Not many of the teachers speak English so it is important for you to learnGreek so you are able to converse with your child's teacher.
The schools have totally different holidays compared to the UK, here in Greece for example they break up for the summer in June and do not return until September it is simply too hot for them to be in the classroom during these hot times.
Greek children are very friendly and very well disciplined so your child should have no problem settling in and adjusting to their new life in the sun.
