The importance Greeks attach to education is reflected in their political, social and family commitment to it. Education is regarded as the means of achieving social and personal progress and sustaining national cultural identity. Under the Greek constitution, every citizen has a right to equal educational opportunities. State education is provided free of charge up to and including undergraduate level, but fees are charged for most postgraduate courses, ranging from 5,800 to 14,000 euros.
The UK is by far the largest overseas supplier of education and training to Greece. For years there has been a high demand for overseas education because the Greek higher education system has been unable to meet the national need for places. However, as more places have become available at Greek universities, numbers of Greek undergraduates studying in the UK have been declining steadily. It is clear from current trends in enquiries and applications that there is likely to be a continuing decline in the number of Greeks on first degree courses in the UK in the coming years. This is due to demographic factors in a small country and to the increase in the provision of undergraduate places within the state sector. The birth rate has fallen significantly since 1980 and has already resulted in lower enrolments in the very large English language teaching sector in Greece, especially among students of primary and lower secondary age.
Greece spends close to the average in the EU25 on primary education and a little above on tertiary but lags well behind in spending on secondary at 1.39 per cent of GDP, compared with the EU’s 2.4 per cent. When Greek performance is compared with that of the 30 nations of OECD – including countries with a focus on education such Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan – the country stands well down in the league tables. Spending per student is around USD 4,700 (ranking Greece 20th out of 30 countries), while public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public expenditure is approximately eight per cent compared with 13.3 per cent (ranking Greece last).
The Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs formulates and implements legislation, co-ordinates and evaluates regional services, administers financial support, approves primary and secondary school curricula and appoints teaching staff. In 2005/06, 51 per cent of the population aged 29 or under were in education. Young people in the compulsory education age group numbered 1,050,000. 88.9 per cent of pupils attended public-sector schools and 11.1 per cent private non-grant-aided schools. Private primary and secondary schools are recognised as equivalent to state schools, and remain under the supervision and inspection of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. They are fully self-financed. There are also special private schools offering education to foreign nationals residing in Greece. No private higher education institutes are recognised by the Greek government.
Private primary and secondary schools are recognised as equivalent to state schools, and remain under the supervision and inspection of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. They are fully self-financed. There are also special private schools offering education to foreign nationals residing in Greece.
English, the first foreign language of Greece, is seen as the key to communication with the European Union and the world. Because competence in English is considered by parents and employers to be an essential skill, the demand for it is very high and many thousands of Greeks take UK examinations in English each year.
The Greek Constitution stipulates that higher education must be provided exclusively by state institutions. The Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs is responsible for higher education institutions, which have the right to elect their own executive bodies. Free higher education is provided by universities and university level institutions known as AEI (‘Anotera Ekpedeftika Idrymata’), and by Technological Education Institutes known as TEI (‘Technologika Ekpedeftika Idrymata’).
There are 20 AEI catering for 210,000 students, including the Hellenic Open University, offering 259 courses available throughout Greece. Most undergraduate courses take four years. First degrees in engineering, agriculture, veterinary studies and dentistry take five years. All undergraduate courses, at the National Technical University in Athens, last five years.
There are 14 TEI’s offering 197 different courses located throughout Greece. TEI courses last three and a half to four years and include practical training. The Higher State Council is currently questioning the ‘university status’ of TEIs and the professional rights gained by their graduates.
In academic year 2005-06, there were 364,045 registered undergraduate students in the Greek universities, and 49,236 postgraduates. (Source: Greek Ministry of Education)
There is increased availability of and demand for Greek postgraduate courses. One out of seven graduates is enrolled on Greek postgraduate courses. In 1994, only 4,500 students were registered at postgraduate level. Since then, the market has seen a huge expansion as the need for further specialisation is increasing.
TEIs are not yet authorised to award postgraduate titles and therefore TEI authorities are keen to form partnerships with foreign universities in order to provide postgraduate opportunities for their graduates. Under Greek law, the recognised foreign education institution issues the awards
Greece faces a broad protest against the government's education reforms. The Greek government though is very determined to deliver the planned Education reform. This planned reform requires a constitutional amendment and would come into effect after 2008.
The expected changes include; reinforcement of higher education institutions’ autonomy from central authorities. Academic community to assume full responsibility / self-government of their institutions, an introduction of quality assurance mechanisms to evaluate performance in higher education institutions and accountability of higher education governing bodies. Variety of public and private funding opportunities for universities and Technological Education Institution; recognition of non-state, non profitable private Higher Education institutions.
Predictions about future student numbers are not easy and trends will be influenced by the extent to which Greece successfully implements its plans for improving its higher education provision through expansion, reform and investment. Greek parents, many of whom value the qualities of UK education and the international currency of a UK degree, may adopt a wait-and-see attitude to proposed local changes before taking firm decisions about their children's undergraduate education.
Continuing high local demand for UK education is reflected in the fact that over 30,000 educational enquiries are made each year to the British Council's offices in Athens and Thessaloniki. Over 10,000 Greeks visit the Education UK exhibitions every year seeking information on UK courses. Greece probably has the highest proportion of UK alumni per head of population of any overseas country. Furthermore a growing number of Greeks (currently around 6,000 in total) are choosing UK courses offered by Greek local representatives. Greece probably has the highest proportion of UK alumni per head of the population of any overseas country.
The British Council Greece operates from two offices, in Athens and Thessaloniki. The main areas of work are Examinations, Education and Projects.
Education services focus mainly on counselling and promotion activities: outreach presentations, provision of education information, specialised seminars (Medical Training in the UK, Pre-departure Seminar, Building a powerful portfolio), counselling and assistance with university applications, certification and translation of education documents.
Education UK exhibitions have been organised in Athens and Thessaloniki since 1990. The Greek public appreciate one-stop-shopping and the opportunity to receive information in person from the representatives of UK higher education institutions.
A new Menu of Services has been recently introduced for the benefit of local education UK agents and UK institutions visiting Greece. A course in ‘Promoting UK education and training’ designed by the British Council runs every year in Greece, with the aim to increase local agents’ capacity to promote the UK as a study destination.
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