Steering documents

There are no educational guidelines for ECEC settings for children under the age of 4.  The provisions of the Standard Regulation of Operation for Municipal Infant/Child Care and Child Care Centres” (Joint Ministerial Decision 41087/29-11-2017) constitute the minimum requirements, while each municipal council decides on the regulation of the municipal infant care, infant/child care and child care centres under their authority. The steering documents for pre-primary schools (nipiagogeio) are described in the chapter on primary schools. 

Areas of learning and development

Although there are no educational guidelines for ECEC settings at the moment, most ECEC settings follow grosso modo the daily schedule that has been described in the previous Standard Regulation of Operation for Municipal Infant/Child Care and Child Care Centres” of 2002 (Joint Ministerial Decision 16065/22-4-2002)

The daily schedule includes:

• Music-movement-rhythmic activities
• Exercises to raise spatial awareness
• Workshops of painting
• Workshops of masking
• Workshops of puppetry
• Workshops of dramatic play
• Workshops of water
• Workshops of clay
• Workshops of gardening
• Workshops of cooking
• Workshops of ecological experimentation and other pedagogical activities of the same nature. 

Moreover, team games are also organised in the classroom and the yard, and psychomotor activities are performed. Finally, the following activities are encouraged:

• Pre-reading
• Pre-writing
• Pre-numbering.

The areas of learning for pre-primary schools (nipiagogeio) are described in the chapter on primary schools. 

Pedagogical approaches

In infant care (vrefikoi stathmoi), infant/child care (vrefonipiakoi stathmoi), and child care centres (paidikoi stathmoi), the daily schedule, drawn up in accordance with the ‘Standard regulation’, includes - in general - hours dedicated to individualised programmes focused on:

• Child development
• Free activities
• Hours for meals and rest. 

As far as infants (age range: from 2 months up to 2.5 years old) are concerned, individualised programmes are organised aiming at:

1. The child’s social 
2. Emotional
3. Mental 
4. Motion development assisting it in acquiring its autonomy.

 As regards children from age 2.5 to 4 years old, the educator urges and encourages children to:

• Engage in game groups or in activity groups in the symbolic ‘pedagogical corners of activities’ and in the corners of knowledge
• Get involved with building and constructing or other educational material. 

After the departure of early leaving children, at the beginning of the afternoon, quiet activities follow, such as listening to music, narrating a fairy tale, fiction, singing, reading a book, speech-based games and games to develop children’s perceptual ability, pantomime and improvisation.

The daily schedule of creative activities applicable to infant care, infant/child care and child care centres aims to:

• Achieve the socialisation and smooth interaction of children among them
• Strengthen their development progress
• Establish an environment of freedom and security ensuring the harmonious psychosomatic development of children. 

The educator’s goal is to give children the ability to concentrate, have self-motivation, confidence in themselves and their abilities, following the most modern teaching methods.

The pedagogical approaches for pre-primary schools (nipiagogeio) are described in the chapter on primary schools. 

Assessment

There are no formal assessment for children under age 4. Formal assessment starts in pre-primary schools, attended by children from the age of 4.

Teaching staff in infant care (vrefikoi stathmoi), infant/child care (vrefonipiakoi stathmoi) and child care centres (paidikoi stathmoi) are expected to inform parents once a month for the general and comprehensive development of the child. Assessment in pre-primary schools (nipiagogeio) is described in the chapter on primary schools. 

Transition to primary school

Pre-school education in nipiagogeio (ISCED 020) is part of primary education, as it is regulated by the same legislation (Law 1566/1985) and is therefore presented in detail in Chapter 5.