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Parents and students will “vote” to abolish the system of National Examinations for admission to universities. The positive answer is not so obvious, if we take into account that the Panhellenic in their current form have been enshrined in the consciousness of Greek society as an immutable system. After all, this is also the reason why the government does not proceed with their immediate abolition, until a reliable alternative system of access to HEIs is found.
In particular, today was held at Maximos Palace meeting of the prime minister Kyriakou Mitsotakis with the Minister of Education Sophia Zacharakis and him Michalis Sfakianakipresident of the national dialogue committee on the new structure of the high school and the institution of the national baccalaureate.
The committee has already completed the dialogue on the five individual thematic-pillars concerning:
- The educational content, including the curriculum (ie, it will be decided not what subjects should be taught but what skills and knowledge students should have upon graduation).
- School life (the pedagogical climate, the mental well-being of students, the participation of the school community).
- The training and professional development of teachers.
- The building, digital and laboratory infrastructures of the school units.
- Governance (changes to the institutional framework, education administration, student evaluation mechanisms are examined).
According to information from “K”, there will be invitation to parties to discuss the committee’s recommendations on the five pillars. Also, meetings with educational institutions will be organized.
The committee’s interim report is expected to be made public at the end of July, which will raise the issues in a public dialogue with society.
Then a special electronic platform will be opened, through which students and parents will be invited to submit opinions and suggestions. Through the dialogue with actors and the electronic platform, the government is seeking to secure the widest possible consensus on the new plan. The platform, which is in the preparation stage, will include basic questions about the new structure of the high school, how to obtain the national baccalaureate and the fate of the National Examinations.
Among the questions will be whether for the calculation of the national baccalaureate the grades of all three high school classes or only the B and 3 high school grades should be taken into account, and with what weight.
Specifically, according to information from “K”, among the questions will be whether for the calculation of the national baccalaureate the grades of all three high school classes or only the 2nd and 3rd high school classes should be taken into account, and with what weight for the grade of each class.
A question that stands out is whether the Panhellenic Courts should be abolished. That is, parents and society they will be asked to submit proposals for the system that will replace the longest-standing and most inflexible system of admission – that of Panhellenic.
Gradually
At the same time, a plan being studied by the Ministry of Education is that the National Examinations are not replaced within one year of the passing of the national high school diploma, but their importance diminishes as the reliability of the national baccalaureate exams increases.
When will the new system be implemented? This is a question that, as members of the committee and officials of the Ministry of Education told “K”, depends on the time of its vote in the Parliament.
Based on the timetable that has been set, the public consultation on the position text will be completed next September and the final report with the implementation map and pilot phases will be made public in October, to be voted on in 2026 or early 2027.
What is certain is that the students who will attend the 1st High School in the 2026-2027 school year will be admitted to the HEIs with the current system.
