IB to be introduced in 13 public schools from September, says Zacharaki – See which schools have been selected

By May, certification of the archetypal 13 nationalist schools successful which the International Baccalaureate (IB) volition beryllium introduced is expected, with the purpose of starting the programme successful September. This proviso is included successful the multi-bill of the Ministry of Education, which was submitted contiguous for treatment earlier the Committee connected Cultural Affairs of the Parliament.

The multi-bill, titled “Establishment of the Higher School of Performing Arts, instauration of a caller class of Artistic Education positions, model for the cognition of Higher Schools of Artistic Education and Higher Schools of Music Education and different provisions” by the Ministry of Education, includes interventions astatine each levels of education—from superior to tertiary and creator education—as good arsenic successful related administrative and nonrecreational structures.

Among the provisions attracting peculiar involvement are the instauration of the International Baccalaureate (IB) successful nationalist schools and the constitution of the Higher School of Performing Arts, an inaugural aiming to upgrade creator studies institutionally successful the country. Another important constituent is the regularisation for the State Language Certificate, which is portion of the broader effort to upgrade precocious schoolhouse education.

However, it is noted that the much-discussed regularisation connected the equivalence of degrees for astir 400,000 graduates of the erstwhile Technological Educational Institutes (TEI) is absent from this bill. According to the Minister of Education, Sophia Zacharaki, the contented remains nether reappraisal and volition beryllium discussed astatine the adjacent furniture meeting. At the aforesaid time, a proviso that would person allowed nationalist employees to thatch arsenic adjunct instructors astatine universities has been withdrawn.

Regarding the IB

“For the archetypal time, we are moving from theoretical proviso to signifier by integrating the International Baccalaureate into nationalist schools with wide presumption and a circumstantial timeline. Certification of the archetypal 13 schools is expected by May, with the extremity of starting the programme successful September 2026. I see this an important measurement towards an adjacent much outward-looking, modern, and high-quality nationalist acquisition system. And of course, nary treatment is taking spot regarding IB introduction into nationalist universities. In the country’s nationalist universities, admittance is lone done the Panhellenic Exams, and this is good known,” emphasized the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, Sophia Zacharaki, speaking to the liable parliamentary committee.

“We are not introducing IB into nationalist schools present arsenic an chartless oregon caller qualification. The International Baccalaureate has already been foreseen by instrumentality 2327/1995 arsenic a qualification equivalent to the precocious schoolhouse diploma. What we are doing contiguous is thing antithetic and acold much substantive. We are implementing this model successful nationalist acquisition with circumstantial presumption of organization, staffing, and certification,” the Minister noted.

It is reminded that thirteen campaigner schools person already been selected successful Athens, Thessaloniki, Volos, and Heraklion, and the applicable teacher grooming sessions person been conducted.

The 13 campaigner schools are arsenic follows:

ATTICA
Athens Music School
Gerakas Art School
Pallini Music School
Anavryta Model General Lyceum
Ag. Anargyroi Model General Lyceum
Varvakeio Model General Lyceum
Evangelical School of Smyrna Model General Lyceum
Ionideio Model General Lyceum

THESSALONIKI
1st Manolis Andronikos Model General Lyceum
University of Macedonia Experimental Lyceum
Thessaloniki Music School

VOLOS
Volos Music School

HERAKLION
Heraklion Model General Lyceum

According to the timeline, successful April the exertion process for certification by the 13 schools volition beryllium completed and applications submitted. In May, certification visits to the schools are expected, and by the extremity of June, the last decisions of the International Baccalaureate Organization volition beryllium made. From September 2026, the certified schools are expected to statesman operation.

The measure besides includes provisions for pupil enrollment and staffing of classes, assignment of programme coordinators, teacher allowances, and sum of the outgo of books, equipment, and introspection fees for students.

Regarding the State Language Certificate

As portion of the bill’s discussion, the instauration of a escaped integer State Language Certificate for students successful the 3rd twelvemonth of Gymnasium (junior high) is planned. For the archetypal time, from the 2026–2027 schoolhouse year, students of the 3rd twelvemonth of Gymnasium volition beryllium capable to enactment escaped of complaint successful authorities exams via an physics process for 1 of the 4 main European languages taught successful school: English, French, German, oregon Italian.

As the Minister emphasized: “For the archetypal time, students of the 3rd twelvemonth of Gymnasium volition beryllium capable to obtain, without immoderate outgo to their families, a reliable and recognized authorities connection certificate. At the aforesaid time, we are processing the State Certificate into a modern, digital, and afloat escaped connection certification system, enhancing adjacent opportunities and the prime of nationalist education. The caller introspection strategy introduces innovative appraisal methods, arsenic it is based connected adaptive computer-based exams, utilizes unified and scientifically validated point banks, and is supported by a web of Electronic Examination Centers crossed the country.”

The instauration of the integer State Language Certificate is portion of a broader strategy of reliable and tiered appraisal of students’ cognition and skills, straight linked to the National Diploma and contributing to the instauration of a coherent and just model for evaluating and certifying the schoolhouse journey.

The Minister highlighted: “With this caller intervention, we marque connection learning much accessible, much reliable, and genuinely escaped for each children, substantially reinforcing the relation of nationalist schools. At the aforesaid time, we laic the instauration for the implementation of the National Diploma.”

Implementation volition beryllium gradual to guarantee prime and reliability: the aviator signifier volition commencement astatine the extremity of 2026, generalized exertion successful 2027, and afloat nationalist rollout is planned by 2030.

Funding of €20.8 cardinal from the National Development Program 2026–2030 has been secured for afloat implementation.

Sophia Zacharaki connected the instauration of the Higher School of Performing Arts: “We are realizing a 50-year imaginativeness and request, portion besides regulating creator acquisition with rules, continuity, and perspective.”

The constitution of the Higher School of Performing Arts provides, for the archetypal time, a unified and wide model for creator education, with a hierarchy of qualifications and possibilities for world advancement, the Minister emphasized successful her code during the archetypal league of the Permanent Committee connected Cultural Affairs of the Parliament, during the measure discussion.

According to Zacharaki, the Higher School of Performing Arts (HSPA), a afloat autonomous nationalist higher acquisition instauration with a circumstantial purpose, is simply a historical milestone that responds to a long-standing petition of the creator assemblage and aims to fortify and upgrade creator studies institutionally.

HSPA volition connection studies astatine each levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral), make probe activity, and integrate creator signifier astatine the halfway of the acquisition process. As Zacharaki said: “We are establishing an instauration designed for the quality of the performing arts, organizing first, second, and 3rd cycles of study, processing research, and providing pedagogical grooming and specialization. An instauration wherever creator signifier and accomplishment are recognized arsenic the halfway of the cognition domain.”

Its cognition volition trust connected adjacent practice with starring nationalist taste institutions specified arsenic the National Theatre, the Greek National Opera, the State Theatre of Northern Greece, and the Thessaloniki State Conservatory, utilizing their acquisition and expertise.

The Minister stressed that the betterment comes with a wide implementation mechanism, allowing contiguous cognition of the schoolhouse utilizing existing infrastructure, stating: “The modulation does not hap with a regulatory gap. The HSPA tin commencement immediately, utilizing existing facilities and realistic implementation terms, without depending connected the anterior completion of caller gathering facilities. This means a superior reform—not conscionable legislating but being capable to implement.”

At the aforesaid time, a peculiar admissions strategy is established, adapted to the quality of studies, emphasizing appraisal of creator skills. A peculiar model for teaching unit combines world qualifications and creator experience.

The measure introduces, for the archetypal time, a unified and wide model for creator education, with qualifications hierarchy and possibilities for world advancement.

Titles of higher schools are included successful Level 5 of the National Qualifications Framework, portion organization “bridges” to Level 6 are created done placement exams oregon peculiar survey programs, including via the Hellenic Open University.

The Minister thanked enactment representatives, stakeholders, and members of the arts and acquisition assemblage for participating successful nationalist dialogue, emphasizing that “all comments volition beryllium cautiously recorded and evaluated seriously, truthful we tin proceed to a substantive treatment worthy of the value of the project.”

Closing her speech, Sophia Zacharaki highlighted: “With this bill, we resoluteness a decades-long pending contented for the performing arts. We signifier a tract that remained fragmented for years. We make existent acquisition and nonrecreational pathways. We put successful creation, quality, permeability, and organization seriousness. The fifty-year imaginativeness becomes reality. And we are present not conscionable to denote it, but to instrumentality it together.”

The Ministry approaches the treatment with openness and respect for each well-founded observation,” she concluded, emphasizing that “the large involvement already shown confirms that this is simply a betterment that addresses existent needs and expectations. We volition perceive cautiously to everyone. We volition grounds each substantive observation. And we volition proceed to a treatment worthy of a measure that seeks to recognize a long-standing imaginativeness for the country’s creator and originative world.”

The measure besides provides that the Directorate of Artistic Education of the Ministry of Culture volition beryllium transferred to the Ministry of Education, on with its responsibilities, staff, and infrastructure. State institutions of creator and philharmonic acquisition volition beryllium placed nether the supervision of the aforesaid ministry. Administrative fines for violations successful backstage higher euphony acquisition schools are redefined.

Other provisions successful the measure nether discussion

In superior and secondary education, extended changes are introduced, emphasizing the modernization of infrastructure and services.

School libraries, integer infrastructure, and vocation guidance

Practical implementation of the integer translation of acquisition is reflected successful schoolhouse libraries, which get an expanded relation arsenic spaces for people and integer learning. A unified “Digital Ecosystem of School Libraries” is being created to link schools with the National Library of Greece and different bodies, with enactment from ITYE “Diophantus.” A National Coordinating Committee for School Libraries with expanded powers is besides being formed. Scientific committees and thematic officers volition beryllium established. Procedures for staffing and enriching libraries are defined. The proviso aims to beforehand speechmaking and make a nationalist web of “Reading Schools.”

Career counseling services are extended to 3rd-year Gymnasium students and peculiar acquisition structures, expanding idiosyncratic sessions and utilizing existing structures.

Tertiary acquisition and world titles

In higher education, provisions are made for certification of pedagogical and teaching competence, accommodation of administrative salaries successful higher acquisition institutions, and a caller model for assemblage sports facilities.

Procedures astatine DOATAP for designation of degrees are modified, and issues concerning the cognition of the Institute of Educational Policy are addressed, including secondments and allowances.

Provisions for entree to professions

The measure modifies the model for legally regulated professions, introducing preliminary valuation of proportionality of restrictions by competent authorities, constitution of Special Evaluation Committees successful each ministry, and procedures for connection with the European Commission for accusation exchange.

Provisions for educators and administrative staff

Provisions see teacher secondments and their hold to peculiar personnel, the anticipation of transfers to administrative positions aft agelong secondments, hold of overseas acquisition coordinators’ presumption to 5 years, outgo of allowances, and salary-related regulations.

Other provisions

The multi-bill besides includes provisions connected the employment of non-certified instructors successful Lifelong Learning Centers nether conditions, compensation for members of nationalist dialog committees, physics connection exams, and related registries.

Finally, the anticipation of bonzer admittance to universities is extended for candidates affected by the Tempi railway accident.

It is noted that the measure nether treatment constitutes 1 of the astir extended interventions successful caller years successful the tract of education, gathering galore heterogeneous provisions expected to beryllium taxable to further governmental and organization processing earlier its last approval.