Education and Training Monitor 2023

1. The teaching profession

Greece expects to have enough teachers in future. This can be partly explained by the large pool of potential teacher candidates and demographic trends¹. In Greece, most higher education graduates are qualified to become teachers in secondary education. At the same time, the unemployment rate of those aged 25-64 years who have completed tertiary education is the highest in the EU (10.6% in 2021 vs EU average 4.3%) (OECD, 2023a), creating a strong potential supply of teachers.

Greece has been proceeding with permanent appointments of teachers. Since 2019, after a decade of no hirings in education, 28 500 permanent appointments of teachers have been completed. The aim is to address staff shortages in schools and at the same time phase out the extensive use of substitute teachers in recent years². This year’s call to register in the ranking list for teaching appointments attracted a high number of applicants. However, existing public data does not allow us to assess whether all needs are covered or if there are specific subjects that might suffer shortages³.

A strong reduction of school students is projected for the coming years. The population of the country has been declining since 2011⁴, fertility rates are low and a very high share of teachers is approaching retirement age⁵. A reduction by one third of the total number of primary and secondary school students is projected by 2100, while 77.3% of this reduction is projected to take place by 2040 (IOBE, 2022). Maintaining student-teacher ratios at current levels⁶, would allow Greece to reduce the number of teachers by 33.6% by year 2100 (IOBE, 2022). Reliable data as well as systematic monitoring of the teaching force would be necessary to master the demographic changes and the changing demand for qualified teachers.

While teachers benefit from high job security, their career prospects remain limited. A recent European Commission report on the development and implementation of national school career frameworks reports that teachers in Greece are willing to invest time in their careers when they feel safe (European Commission, 2023). And the teaching profession in Greece does ensure high job security, as teachers are civil servants. However, there are misconceptions and a lack of information related to the profession. Professional culture in the education community in Greece is missing, and teachers are too often regarded as instructors, not professionals (European Commission, 2023). The limited career prospects also lower its attractiveness.

A national career framework for teachers was only recently developed. So far, there have been no incentives to encourage teachers to widen their professional horizons. The new career framework provides an analysis of the opportunities for teachers to progress in their career, indicating different options in the education system beyond teaching. It introduces a new approach to support individual teachers, at school and system level. The objective is to make the profession more appealing, going beyond the benefits of high security, small classes and advantageous working time (European Commission, 2019). According to the new framework, professional development in the teaching profession will now be based on motivation, abilities and career ambitions. The reform is backed by a wide variety of training offered by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports (Ministry) and the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP), largely financed by EU funds.

Teacher evaluation started in school year 2022/2023. In line with the new legal provisions, which entered into force in 2021⁷, the evaluation of teachers was launched in school year 2022/2023. It is being implemented for the first time across the country and in a systematic manner. Teacher assessment follows the evaluation of school units that took place as a first step in 2021/2022 (European Commission, 2022a). It aims to improve the effectiveness of the education system, increase teachers’ job satisfaction, enhance their professional development and better link evaluation results with educational outcomes. The evaluation focuses on the teachers’ pedagogical work and their consistency and competence. To this end, an electronic platform has been created and a four-point descriptive scale is being used. The evaluation process is mandatory for teachers and it cannot be used for punitive ends. A positive evaluation is a criterion for promotion to a position of responsibility and consequently to a slightly higher salary (Hellenic Republic, 2023a).

2. Early childhood education and care

Early childhood education and care has been reformed in the recent years. To respond to the low overall participation rate from age 3 to the starting age for compulsory primary education, a series of measures have been taken to improve access to quality ECEC. Indicatively, in 2019⁸ the rate stood at 68.8% vs the EU average of 92.9% and vs the EU-level target for 2030, 96%⁹. The introduction of mandatory pre-schooling from age 4 has been fully implemented since school year 2021/2022 (European Commission, 2022a).

Emphasis is placed to the curricula. Since September 2023, a new curriculum for pre-school education applies to all ECEC structures. Creative engagement in English language and soft skills workshops (Institute of Educational Policy, IEP) have been included in the pre-school curriculum for children aged 4 and over from 2020/2021. Since 2022/2023, full-day kindergarten is being applied. The impact of the different reform elements introduced in the Greek pre-primary education in recent years, in terms of educational outcome, remains to be seen.

Based on the revised Barcelona targets, Greece should intensify efforts to increase the participation rate in ECEC for children under 3. The Council Recommendation of September 2022 (European Commission, 2022d) calls on Member States to increase ECEC participation, by different amounts depending on their starting point. Specifically, Greece is invited to increase its participation rate by 13.3 pps¹⁰, to 42.8%¹¹ in 2030 (from 29.5% average 2017-2021). This participation is being subsidised by the EU Cohesion Policy funds (Hellenic Republic, 2023c).

Continuing professional development for ECEC staff has been strengthened. The IEP develops and organises training related to the novelties introduced in the ECEC curricula, such as the different ‘skills labs’¹² activities and the teaching of English. Furthermore, the ECEC heads initiate training based on the specific needs of the institution, within its premisses and outside teaching hours, with a total duration of 15 hours per school year. Participation is not mandatory. However, it constitutes one of the parameters for teacher evaluation, which is being implemented since the beginning of 2023.

3. School education

Greece achieved a major reduction in early school leaving during the last decade. The share of early leavers from education and training decreased by 7.2 pps since 2012, mostly thanks to a substantial drop in rural areas, where the reduction was 13.4 pps. Overall, in 2022 the country recorded one of the lowest shares in the EU, at 4.1% (EU level: 9.6%), far below the EU-level target of 9%¹⁶. However, this has increased slightly (by less than 1 pp) since 2021, when it was 3.2%.

A comprehensive policy approach to support learners at risk is being implemented. Greece undertakes many activities to increase equity in education. This includes providing qualified support staff, individualised support and mentoring for learners at risk, including with the support of EU funds (see ESF project in Box 2). The IEP has set up an observatory to monitor and process data related to early leavers. A recently adopted law¹⁷ called ‘We live together in harmony - breaking our silence’ addresses bullying and violence prevention in schools. Prevention also constitutes a criterion for internal and external school evaluation. School life counsellors, designated among teachers in schools, promote trust and inclusion. Financial support is also being deployed, for example for school transport and hot meals at school (European Commission, 2021a).

Greece promotes multilingualism in schools. It is among the few Member States¹⁸that do this from a very early age. While most education systems in the EU introduce foreign languages for children between 6 to 8 years, Greece does so from the age of 4, already during ECEC (Eurydice, 2023). As a result, in Greece children learn their first foreign language, most commonly English, for a total of fourteen years. By end of general upper secondary education, they have to attain level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which is the highest expected level in the EU. Pupils also start learning a second foreign language at school comparatively earlier than in other EU countries, at the age of 10. In most EU countries, pupils start between age 11 and 13. In lower secondary education more than 90% of pupils learn two or more foreign languages. The second most learnt language is French. It has been decided that pupils will participate in PISA’s optional Foreign Language Assessment (FLA) in 2025 (OECD, 2023b).

Figure 1: Percentage of students learning foreign languages in lower secondary education (ISCED 2) by number of languages, 2021

4. Vocational education and training

Greece continues to reform its national VET and lifelong learning systems. One out of three pupils in secondary education take part in vocational programmes (33.8% in 2021)¹⁹, while the employment rate for recent secondary VET graduates, at 59.8% ²⁰ in 2022, is among the lowest in the EU (EU-level average: 79.7%). In response to the 2020 Council Recommendation on VET and the Osnabrück Declaration, Greece has prepared a comprehensive national implementation plan to address the European priorities and achieve its national objectives in VET and lifelong learning in the coming years, whilst continuing the reform of the national VET and lifelong learning systems. Efforts focus on boosting the attractiveness of VET and increasing participation by employers and trade unions in designing policies and updating programmes. The EU Technical Support Instrument supports Greece to increase the labour market relevance of VET programmes as well as to smooth the transition of VET graduates into the labour market.

A new vocational training school started operation. To address the absence of structures for providing professional qualifications at EQF level 3, the education Ministry started the operation of one vocational training school (VTS/ΕΣΚ) in October 2022 and of two more in February 2023²¹. Paid apprenticeships for learners take place. VTS graduates are granted a vocational education and training degree at level 3 of the Hellenic Qualifications Framework, after successful participation in certification exams conducted by the national organization for the certification of qualifications and vocational guidance (EOPPEP).

Quality in VET is being increased. A self-evaluation methodology for public post-secondary initial VET was developed to ensure and further develop quality in VET. The methodology was developed by EOPPEP under the project ‘Towards an Enhanced post-Covid VET’. To modernise career and vocational guidance in public and private initial VET (iVET) and continuous VET (cVET) institutions, a Ministerial Decision for the certification of career/vocational guidance practitioners has been issued. The new institutional framework has been designed in accordance with the principles and guidelines of European policy and in alignment with the occupational standards for career/vocational guidance practitioners. To strengthen the continuing professional development of teachers, the IEP has been carrying out the project ‘Training of teachers/trainers on apprenticeship issues’. The programme addresses staff members who used to work in school-based programmes and have been reallocated to new apprenticeship programmes.

The programmes of the new model vocational high schools will be aligned with the needs of local communities. They will include new models of school administration and operation and pilot implementation of new programmes, curricula and teaching methods. They will also offer internships. This is in line with law 4673/2020 on iVET, which sets the objectives of the model vocational high schools (Π.ΕΠΑ.Λ.), which include participation by employers and trade unions, the promotion of educational research and the development of international collaborations.

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment has increased significantly in the past decade and has reached the EU-level target for 2030. Greek society places a high value on higher education. In 2022, 45.2% of Greeks aged 25-34 held a tertiary education degree, compared with the EU average of 42%. This constitutes an increase of 1 pp from the previous year and of 10.7 pps during the last decade (vs an average EU increase of 7.9 pps)²².

The urban-rural divide in holders of tertiary education qualifications is substantial. It currently stands at 25.5 pps²³ in favour of cities (EU: 22 pps), and it is growing. The increase of 5.1 pps in the share in rural areas during the last decade (currently at 28.5%) is close to the EU trend. In contrast, the increase in the share of people living in cities was more significant at 11 pps (currently at 54%).

The gender gap in favour of women in tertiary-level attainment remains substantial. Although slightly less – by 1 pp – than last year (-12.7 pps²⁴ vs the EU: -11.1 pps) the gender gap persists. 51.8% of young women hold a tertiary qualification (25-34), vs 39.1% for men. However, in 2019 Greece also recorded the highest unemployment rate in the EU for tertiary-educated women, at 14.5%, vs the EU-level average of 3.5% (European Commission, 2021b). To achieve a better gender balance, Greece took a major policy initiative related to gender equity in higher education. Greece is one of the Member States with a high proportion of female STEM graduates. In 2021, approximately one in five female graduates was a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduate (vs the EU average of 15%). In 2021, women represented 34.8% of ICT graduates (EU: 21.2%)²⁵ (OECD, 2021).

Recent tertiary graduates’ employment in Greece is lower than in most European countries. At 70.1% in 2022, the employment rate of young tertiary graduates (20-34 year-olds) is the lowest in the EU (vs EU: 86.7%)²⁶, despite a significant increase during the last decade (22.4 pps). The most popular study fields are business, administration and law, accounting for one out of five new enrolments in tertiary education, similarly to most EU countries in 2021. There is a great demand for ICT specialists, as 79% of 25–64-year-olds with a tertiary ICT qualification are employed. However, ICT students make up only 4% of new entrants into tertiary education, below the OECD average of 6%.

Internationalisation is being further increased. Greece is creating partnerships between Greek universities and leading higher education institutions abroad, with the aim of increasing both internationalisation and quality. In this context, and based on law 4957/2022 discussions were launched in November 2022 with thirty universities from the United States, to build on existing common programmes and explore the potential for new collaborations. The aim is to enable students, researchers, and professors to interact with their colleagues from the US universities, carrying out joint research, sharing knowledge and ultimately receiving double or joint degrees²⁷. So far, ten Greek institutions have partnered with leading US institutions (Hellenic Republic, 2022). Greek students will have the possibility to attend a United States university for one semester without tuition fees and with the recognition of credits. In addition, ten Greek universities²⁸ have joined forces with foreign higher education institutions under the European Universities initiative.

A high share of academic staff in higher education institutions is male. In higher education, Greece ranked last in the EU in the 2021 Gender Equality Index. According to the annual report on the quality of higher education by the Hellenic authority for higher education, in 2019 Greece had the third highest share of male academic staff, at 64.3% vs the EU average of 56.62%. The European Commission report ‘She Figures 2021’ (European Commission, 2021b) also shows that the proportion of women among heads of institutions in the Greek higher education sector is particularly low at 16%, vs the EU average of 23.6% (figure 2). A gender equality and anti-discrimination commission was established by law²⁹ in 2022 in all higher education institutions to promote gender equity, tackle any kind of stereotypes and to deal with any form of harassment.

Figure 2: Proportion (%) of women among heads of institutions in the higher education sector, 2019

A new governance model is being introduced in higher education institutions. Greece has intensified its efforts in recent years to modernise higher education, with the adoption of four laws³⁰ aimed also at improving governance structure. The changes include granting greater autonomy to higher education institutions (HEIs), improving their functioning, introducing objective and performance criteria for funding, upgrading quality and creating the links between HEIs and society (European Commission, 2022a). The implementation of the new governance arrangements³¹ is ongoing. According to the new governance structure, two bodies with distinct responsibilities govern each HEI. All matters related to the institution’s academic and research activity are decided on and handled by the Senate. Administrative, financial, managerial and strategic responsibilities are exercised by the Administrative Board. Students and academic staff are also represented in the governance at the Senate as well as in other bodies.

Performing arts education will be set at a higher level. Arts education was unregulated for decades in Greece, which had consequences in terms of recognition of qualifications and working conditions for artists, including their salaries. In practice, post-secondary education in the arts is provided by a very limited number of public establishments such as the Drama School of the National Theatre in Athens, private art schools, conservatories, and dance schools. There are five higher education institutions³² which provide studies in theatre and drama, music and cinema. The EU Recovery and Resilience Facility supports the ‘Upgrading of higher art education’. A new law is being prepared to found a public higher education institution in the performing arts.

6. Adult learning

Participation in adult learning remains one of the key challenges for Greece. The participation rate in 2022 was 3.5%, well below the EU average of 11.9%³³. People with a low level of qualifications, the unemployed and marginalised people are persistently uninterested in adult learning programmes. The participation rate of those groups remains very low, i.e. 0.8% for those without many qualifications and 3.9% for unemployed people in 2018. The only incentives that work are monetary ones. However, there are other factors that can affect participation, such as more flexible working hours, better adaptability to individual learning needs and enhanced support for social and family responsibilities. Stronger emphasis on these factors as well as recognition of certificates by employers would encourage participation in work-related training.

Overall, adult learning is hampered by several factors. These include a lack of adult learning culture and capacities and the absence of appropriate incentives to participate in adult learning programmes. In addition, participation is also affected by the inability to include people with few qualifications into adult learning programmes and the labour market.

Implementing recent reforms remains a challenge. An example is the development of occupational profiles and the system of certification for adult training programmes. Implementation delays slow down the professionalisation of adult trainers, despite significant steps made in recent decades. In terms of quality assurance, there is a need to ensure the quality of adult learning provision. This can be done by developing a system to certify training programmes. Greece is currently receiving support through the EU Technical Support Instrument (TSI) to design a national framework for quality assurance of non-formal education and the assessment and validation of prior learning. Regarding the competence of adult trainers, the system for certifying them needs an update, including regular exams and stronger labour market links, to attract and maintain a cadre of qualified trainers. There is also a need for more structured continuing professional development for adult trainers.

It is necessary to adapt training programmes to labour market needs. Law 4763/2020 aimed to regulate the landscape of vocational education and training, lifelong learning and opportunities for young people, addressing the challenges of governance and quality, establishing new governance structures at national and regional levels and redefining the scope and education level of each lifelong learning institution. Among the responsibilities of Greece’s Regional Councils for the Connection of Production and Labour Market (SSPAE) is submitting proposals to the Central Council for issues concerning VET and especially for developing new programmes and redesigning existing ones, aligned with each region’s overall development strategy. In that respect, there is a need to update the training programmes and keep them relevant for the labour market.