Pursuant to article 16 of the Constitution, arts, science, research and teaching are offered for free.  The State is obliged to develop and promote them. Education is a basic mission for the State and its purpose is the moral, intellectual, professional and physical training of Greeks, the development of a national and religious consciousness and their formation as free and responsible citizens. Education is provided for free to all Greeks on all levels, at state educational institutions.  The State provides financial assistance to students, who distinguish themselves as well as to those in need of assistance or special protection, according to their abilities. The number of years of compulsory education cannot be less than 9. Higher education is provided exclusively by institutions which are fully self-governed legal entities of public law.  These institutions are under the supervision of the State, are entitled to financial assistance from the State and operate according to the laws related to their organisations.  The establishment of higher education schools by private individuals is prohibited. Freedom of religious conscience is inviolable. The enjoyment of civil rights and liberties does not depend on the individual’s religious beliefs (article 13 of the Constitution). The commitment of the State towards a society of equality and egalitarianism (Article 4 of the Constitution) is reflected on the educational system that seeks to avoid preferential treatment and any differentiation among pupils/students, teachers, schools or areas, other than on the basis of objective criteria. Reforms in education are currently dictated by a twofold reality: firstly, the rapid changes taking place in society, epitomized by a shift to the age of knowledge and the digital era, and secondly, the current situation in the country itself.  Any educational reform can be thus understood as these two realities' byproduct. National strategy is driven by the principles of decentralisation, democracy, democratic participation, transparency, equality, solidarity, mitigation of social inequalities and evaluation. Evaluation, in particular, is not punitive but it is rather understood as assessment and feedback on the programmes, institutions and teaching process. Autonomy, responsibility and accountability are also included in the fundamental principles that aim to enhance these reforms at all levels of education, concerning all issues from curricula to governance.

Primary and secondary education

As defined in law 1566/1985, the objective of primary and secondary education is to contribute to a holistic, harmonious and balanced development of the pupils/students mental and psychosomatic skills so that, regardless of gender and origin, they are able to evolve into integrated personalities and live creatively. In particular, primary and secondary education helps students to:

1. Evolve into free, responsible, democratic citizens that defend national independence, the nation’s territorial integrity and democracy, to be inspired by the love for man, life and nature and be driven by loyalty towards their country and the fundamental principles of the orthodox Christian tradition.  Freedom of religious conscience is inviolable.
2. Nurture and develop mind and body, their talents, interests and skills.  To acquire, through school education, social identity and consciousness, to understand and comprehend the social value and equality of mental and manual labour.  To stay up-to-date and practise on making good use of a) the beneficial for humanity goods provided by modern civilization and b) the values of our tradition.
3. Develop creative and critical thinking and understand the concept of collective effort and collaboration in order to take initiatives and participate responsibly in society’s progress and our country’s development.
4. Understand the significance of art, science and technology, to respect human values and to safeguard and promote culture.
5. Develop the spirit of friendship and cooperation with all people on earth, aspiring towards a better, just and peaceful world.

Higher education

The educational mission of higher education institutions, according to law 4485/2017, is as follows:

1. To produce and transmit knowledge through research and teaching, to prepare students for the application of this knowledge to the professional field and to cultivate arts and culture.
2. To contribute to lifelong learning by using modern teaching methods, including distance learning, based on scientific and technological research at the highest possible quality level according to internationally recognised criteria.
3. To develop the students’ critical ability and skills, to create the necessary conditions for the emergence of young researchers and to provide their graduates with the necessary knowledge and means they need for their scientific and professional career.
4. To respond to the country's development needs, to promote dissemination of knowledge and development of the arts, exploitation of research results and innovation, with commitment to the principles of scientific ethics, sustainable development and social cohesion, as well as to contribute to the national plan for the country’s productive reorganisation towards sustainability.
5. To promote cooperation with other educational institutions and research bodies in the country and abroad, as well as the effective mobility of their teaching personnel, students and graduates, participating in the European and international academic community.
6. To contribute to the creation of responsible citizens, able to respond to the requirements of all fields of human activities with scientific, professional and cultural adequacy and responsibility and with respect to the values of justice, freedom, democracy, social solidarity, peace and equality.
7. To develop common, open resources in education, research, technology and culture.

To fulfil their mission, HEIs are organised and operate according to regulations and practices that ensure complying with and defending, in particular, the following values:   

1. Freedom in research and teaching
2. Ethics in research and science
3. Quality of education
4. Quality of services, efficiency and effectiveness in managing their staff, resources and infrastructure
5. Transparency in all activities
6. Impartiality of their bodies in performing their work and in making individual and collective decisions
7. Merit-based selection and advancement of their staff
8. Equal treatment between men and women and respect for diversity.

Lifelong learning

The first framework law for lifelong learning (law 3879/2010), as amended and in force, supports the development of Lifelong Learning through alternative educational routes, the networking of lifelong learning bodies and quality assurance in order to achieve:

• Interconnection of lifelong learning with the labour market
• Shaping of integrated personalities
• Social and economic development, in general.

In recent years, Greece has made continued efforts to upgrade and improve quality in the educational system and lifelong learning programmes, whilst emphasising on facilitating accessibility for vulnerable social groups at all levels. In particular, the principal objective is to design education and lifelong learning programmes that will provide the means for active participation in society, smooth integration into the labour market and tackling early school leaving, particularly with regard to vulnerable groups. In accordance with the recent law 4763/2020, the governance principles of vocational education, training and lifelong learning, are among others:

1. Common strategic planning of VET to meet the needs of the individual, the labour market and the Greek economy, in full.
2. Direct connection of VET and LLL to the labour market with the effective involvement of social partners. 
3. Reinforcement of the autonomy degree of VET units with the local community representatives playing an active role.
4. Planning and implementation of comprehensive positive actions for young people, integrated into the overall strategy for upgrading their qualifications. 
5. Certification of non-formal and informal learning outputs based on the labour market needs.