What age do children start formal/
primary education?
Children start primary education aged 6. Children
who turn 6 before the 31st December in the year
of which they have to enrol, must start pre
primary education. However, pre-primary
education can start from two and half years old
The school day lasts from approximately 08:15 to 13:30. Children leave primary school at 12 years old
and then go to compulsary secondary education. After each year, teachers must assess if each
child is able to go up to the next grade. If they feel that the child is not ready, they must resit the
year. If the child is ready to go up to the next year they are given a certificate stating they have
met the requirements for the grade.
How does the country work with parents to support
school readiness
In Greece, partnership working is very important as they identify the benefits to the child
when the parent and teacher work together to provide the best opportunities for the child.
Many schools hold regular parent- teacher meetings to discuss their child's development and
ways to improve their learning and development.
How many children reached
the required standards for
literacy and Mathematics
Perfomance in Mathematics
Performance in reading
Early Years provision
The Pre-School Curricula are prepared by the
Pedagogical Institute. They provide manuals to
settings on how to promote development.
Day-to Day activities would include: 'activity corners' with direct
involvement from teacher, free flow play, and nursery rhymes
the overall aims are for the education and cognitive-motor development of the child as well as their social,
emotional, mental, moral and religious development. This curriculum focuses a lot on child involvement and
ensuring children take an active role in their own learning and development
Areas considered important for school
readiness
Teachers in kindergarten consider personal, social and
emotional development very important for school
readiness. They also consider physical development to
be important