Education systems, like countries themselves, rarely change overnight. They shift gradually – and often unevenly – when external pressures meet internal resolve. Greece now finds itself at precisely such an inflection point.
Over the past decade, the country has undertaken a serious effort to modernise its education system. Teaching quality has become an area of focus, early childhood education has expanded, digital infrastructure has been strengthened, and mechanisms for school evaluation and improvement have been reintroduced. These reforms matter. They signal a determination not to let past crises define Greece’s future.
As our new Education Policy Review makes clear, Greece’s key challenge is no longer whether to reform, but how to make reform stick.
Despite a new legislative framework enabling frontline autonomy, the Greek education system remains one of the most centralised in the OECD. Decisions about staffing, budgets and curriculum still flow overwhelmingly from the centre, while schools are expected to deliver better outcomes with too few incentives to adapt to and capitalise on local realities.
Encouragingly, Greece has begun to loosen this knot. Internal school evaluation together with school improvement planning point towards a more participatory, school-centred model. But autonomy with insufficient capacity does not empower schools – it leaves them exposed. School leaders are expected to lead pedagogical change while managing heavy administrative burdens, uneven preparation and limited access to tailored professional development. At the same time, the strength of local support structures, from Education Advisers to regional directorates, varies widely.
The message is clear: if Greece wants schools to become engines of excellence, it must invest in leadership and local capacity, not just issue new mandates.
A similar logic applies to teachers. Greece has taken important steps, including introducing teacher appraisal, creating mentoring and co-ordinator roles, and increasing permanent appointments. But the system still relies heavily on substitute teachers, and professional learning remains fragmented. Appraisal, in particular, risks being seen as a bureaucratic exercise unless it is clearly linked to professional growth, career pathways and school improvement.
What is still missing is a shared understanding and definition of what is excellent teaching. A national competence framework, covering both teachers and school leaders, could serve as the connective tissue aligning initial education, appraisal, professional learning and career development. Without it, reforms risk pulling in different directions.
Early childhood education is another area where Greece has seen amazing progress. Expanding compulsory pre-primary education for four-year-olds has been a major achievement, and the new curriculum provides clearer pedagogical direction. Yet services for children under four remain split across governance structures, access varies by municipality, and quality assurance is uneven. Early learning is too important to be left to administrative silos. Greece now has the opportunity to build a coherent, integrated Early Childhood Education and Care system grounded in quality, equity and data, that shifts emphasis from access to quality, and from care to education. Done well, that can become a robust foundation for both equity and excellence in education.
And then there is digital education. Few countries have made as much effort as Greece when it comes to investing in digitalising their education systems. Platforms, infrastructure and strategies are now in place, with ambitious plans around digital competences and AI readiness. But technology only transforms education for the better when it improves teaching and learning. Classroom use of digital technologies remains uneven, teacher confidence varies, and its impact evaluation on learning outcomes is limited. The next phase is not about more tools but about using existing ones better.
The overarching lesson? Greece does not lack reform ideas or ambitious legislation. But it needs greater coherence, careful sequencing and implementation muscle. Reform is not a sprint; it is a relay. Greece has picked up the education baton. The challenge now is to ensure the reforms reach every classroom in the country.