Social Institutions: Education

The Greek educational system is mainly divided into three levels:  primary (ages 6-12), secondary (ages 12-18) and tertiary (18+).

Primary:

Elementary schools are called "Dimotiká" (demotic, meaning municipal), a carryover term from a time when such schools were run by local communities. The name remains although it has been obsolete for decades. In the first two years pupils are not officially graded, and parents obtain feedback about their performance via oral communications with teachers. Grading begins in Year 3, and written exams are introduced in Year 5. Graduating from one year to the next is automatic, and pupils with deficient performance are given remedial tutoring. Years are called "classes", from first to sixth.

Secondary:

Enrollment to the next tier of compulsory education, the Gymnasium, is automatic.  Similar to the American middle school, students take classes in different subjects that range from 30-80 minutes.  

Basic subjects:

• Modern Greek Language (1 hour/day)
• Modern Greek Literature (6 hours/week)
• Mathematics (5 hours/week)
• Environmental Studies (2–4 hours/week)
• Physical Education (4 hours/week)
• Music (2 hours/week)
• Art (2 hours/week)

• Theatrical Studies (1 hour/week)
• Flexible Zone (3 hours/week)
• English (2–4 hours/week)

The General Lyceum us the equivalent to the American high school.

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)

Tertiary: 

Higher Educational Institutes are consisted of two parallel sectors: the Universities and the Higher Technological Educational Institutes (T.E.I.).