Education in Greece - Secondary Education

Secondary Education

Γυμνάσιο (Gymnasium - Middle / Secondary School) (compulsory education)

• Πρώτη Γυμνασίου / 1st grade, age 12 to 13
• Δευτέρα Γυμνασίου / 2nd grade, age 13 to 14
• Τρίτη Γυμνασίου / 3rd grade, age 14 to 15

Starts on September 11 and ends on June 15 to 18. The lessons end in the second week of May so that the students will be able to study for their examinations between May and June. The classes start at 8.15 and end from 13.45 to 14.15 according to the type of school. Classes last from 30 min. to 45 min. and there are breaks of 10 and 5 minutes between them. Every month each school is obliged to take the students for a walk (περίπατος), which is usually spontaneous, decided right before the first class and an educational excursion to a museum or theater etc. In the end of the year each school is obliged to organise 3 school trips, one for the students of the 2nd year for 3–4 days, one for the students of the 3rd year for 3–5 days and for all of the students which lasts one day. The schools usually organise trips to islands like Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu or even abroad in European cities like Paris, London, Barcelona, Lemesos, Valletta, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Berlin etc.

There are 6 types of gymnasiums in Greece:

1. General Gymnasium (entering there from the primary school is automatic)
2. Athletic Gymnasium (to enter this type of school students must pass certain exams on a sport like basketball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, polo, swimming etc.)
3. Musical Gymnasium (to enter this type of school students must pass certain exams on a musical instrument)
4. Art Gymnasium
5. Experimental Gymnasium
6. Church Gymnasium

There are many more subjects in the Greek Gymnasiums:

• Modern Greek Language (2 hours/week)
• Modern Greek Literature (2 hours/week)
• Ancient Greek Language (3 hours/week)
• Ancient Greek Literature (Homer Odyssey-1st Year, Homer Iliad-2nd Year, Euripides Helen-3rd Year), (2 hours/week)
• Mathematics (4 hours/week)
• Physics (2 hours/week and only for years 2 and 3)
• Chemistry (1 hour/week and for years 2 and 3)
• Biology (2 hours/week and for years 1 and 3)
• Social and Political Studies (2 hours/week and for year 3)
• Physical Education (2 hours/week)
• Art (1 hour/week)
• Music (1 hour/week)
• History (2 hours/week for years 1&2 and 3 hours/week for year 3)
• Religion (2 hours/week)
• Computer Studies (1 hour/week)
• Technology (1 hour/week and for years 1&2)
• English (2 hours/week)
• 2nd foreign language (German, French, Italian and Spanish or rarely Russian and Turkish 2 hours/week)
• School Vocational Guidance (1 hour/week)
• Economics (1 hour/week for year 1 and 2 hours/week for year 2)
• Geography (2 hours/week)

Γενικό Λύκειο (General Lyceum - High School)

• Πρώτη Λυκείου / 1st grade, age 15 to 16
• Δευτέρα Λυκείου / 2nd grade, age 16 to 17
• Τρίτη Λυκείου / 3rd grade, age 17 to 18

On April 2011, the Minister of Education, Lifelong learning and Religious affairs Anna Diamantopoulou officially announced the historic recreation of the General Lyceum. On September 12, 2011 the new system was introduced to the new students of the 1st grade of General Lyceum.

The subjects:

• Greek Language (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek Literature and Composition-9 hours/week)
• Religion (2 hours/week)
• Ancient History (2 hours/week)
• Maths (5 hours/week)
• English (3 hours/week)
• Physical Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology-6 hours/week)
• PE (3 hours/week)
• Project (3 hours/week)

Επαγγελματικό Λύκειο / ΕΠΑΛ (Vocational Lyceum)