The Greek Ministry of Education has recently decided to extend the school year and abolish several school holidays in order to deal with the problems caused by strikes and delays. The Ministry’s decision has raised a general debate concerning the structure of the academic year, which has revealed some rather interesting data.
Although many believe that holidays for Greek students last several months, it appears that they have far fewer holidays and resting days than other European students. OECD member countries allocate almost four weeks of holidays (including Christmas and Easter), with an average of 10 single days off in the EU. According to data, only British students have fewer days off school.
Greek teachers explained that the particularities of each country affect the school year structure. In Greece teaching over summer is impossible, due to poor equipment of schools; most Greek schools do not have air conditioning. This leads to longer summer holidays.
Teachers in Greece believe that the number of hours allocated for teaching are enough. However, they complain about the long-lasting exam periods. They point out that this is an inherent matter of design, as the Greek education system is focused on exams. They claim that for many years the Ministry of Education has consistently failed to ensure the proper operation of schools and as a result, valuable teaching hours are wasted at the start of each school year.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
