Education in Greece

Ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of European science - it had a huge impact on the formation of Western culture. Hippocrates, Democritus, Herodotus, Archimedes, Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Socrates, Alexander the Great - this list of outstanding Greek personalities, whose names are still known all over the world, can be continued for a long time. Today's Greece can no longer boast so many outstanding educational institutions and such big names as they were in antiquity, but, nevertheless, local education is quite quoted in Europe, especially when it comes to well-known universities. If the task is to get a university degree within the European Union, then Greece is one of the best options in terms of the level of accessibility of local education for foreigners.

Preschool education

Usually in Greece, children attend kindergarten for two years at the age of four to six, where they usually spend time from 8 to 16 hours, although the time from 12 hours is already considered an extension. For those under 4 years of age over 2.5 years old, they can be sent to a nursery. State kindergartens accept not only Greeks, but also foreign children with a residence permit , who can go there on a free basis, but both parents must work. And it is worth understanding that communication in a group will take place in Greek, so it will not be easy for a child without language training to socialize. If parents want to be fed lunch in the garden and have the opportunity to stay for a nap, then it is necessary to pay extra about 100-150 euros per month for this.

Among foreigners, including Russians, private gardens in Greece are very popular - they have small groups, and an emphasis is placed on the educational program, including foreign languages, and not only on socialization, as in the state. In addition, in such kindergartens, children are taken away later - usually around 6 pm. The cost of stay can vary from 300 to 1000 euros per month, depending on the level of the particular garden and its location.

Secondary education

This level of education in Greece is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 15 and consists of primary (6 grades) and incomplete secondary (gymnasium for 3 years). Pupils in primary school move from grade to grade without exams, and after the completion of the 6th grade, when you have a certificate of graduation from primary school, you can start studying in a gymnasium (from the age of 12 to 15). Annual exams are already appearing in it, and in case of successful final passing in Greece, you can “automatically” enter the general lyceum, where training is three years. If it was successful, then, based on the results, a certificate of completed secondary education is issued.

There are also vocational schools in the country: if the certificate of the general lyceum only certifies the completion of the course of secondary education, then the certificate of the technical school already gives the right to work in the specialty. At the same time, the possibility of mutual transition of students from the lyceum to the technical school and vice versa remains. Educational institutions of additional secondary education also include vocational training institutes: they provide formal, but unclassified education, since they accept both graduates of gymnasiums and lyceums.

It is worth noting that there are many private schools in Greece, in which about 6% of the country's children study - this is the highest percentage in the European Union. At the same time, the cost of training in a private school is from 1500 euros per year. There are also Russian schools in the country, which can be found in almost any large city, where the educational process takes place according to Russian standards in Russian. One year of stay in such a school will cost 6,000 euros. There are also alternative options: if a child is studying in a Greek school, then he can additionally attend local Russian schools of additional education, where the emphasis is on the history of Russia, literature and the Russian language with payment for each lesson (5 euros).

Higher education

According to the current Constitution of Greece, the creation of non-state higher educational institutions in the country is prohibited. State higher education can be obtained both at universities and institutes of technical education. You can become a student of a university based on the results of exams after the second or third grade of the lyceum. If a person is 22 years old, then he / she can become a student at the Hellenic Open University by drawing lots. And in general, we can say that Greece has one of the most loyal legislation in the field of education in the EU, including for foreigners.

If a potential student does not speak the Greek language at the proper level for passing the training, then after admission he will need one preparatory year, while during the period of studying Greek he will be “admitted” to the university in case of successful passing of the language exam. Every year Greece allocates a whole range of scholarships to support foreign students from both state and public institutions. The most popular organizations that single them out are IKY (State Scholarship Foundation), Hellenic Aid and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To receive a scholarship, you will need apostilled education documents and letters of recommendation. In the case of receiving a scholarship, many benefits are also opened for its holder, including exemption from paying a fee of 150 euros when applying for a residence permit for the period of study.

The most prestigious universities in Greece are generally considered to be the universities of Athens:

• National University named after Kapodistrias,
• National Technical University,
• University of Economics and Business
• Agrarian University.

However, it is the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki that is the largest not only in Greece itself, but also in the Balkans. It is recognized as one of the best universities in Southeast Europe, which attracts the best students from Russia, America, all countries of Southeast Europe and the Middle and Far East, as well as from the Greek diaspora from around the world. Also, such educational institutions as the Athens School of Art, the Pantheon University, the University of Piraeus, the University of Central Greece and the University of Macedonia have high ratings. As for specific areas, in Greece you can get a quality education in the field of tourism, hotel service, history, archeology, architecture, etc.

Thank you for your help in preparing the material:

Natalia Kovaleva, Sales Director, Real Estate Service

Natalia Ruvu, expert at Roula Rouva Real Estate Agency