By Monday, February 17, the ministerial decision is expected, which will define the schools that will operate as Public Onassis Schools for the school years: a) 2025-2026 and b) 2026-2027. On the same day, the composition of the Administrative Committee of the PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS will be announced.

Tomorrow, Friday, February 14, a joint meeting between the Ministry of Education and the Onassis Foundation will take place to finalize at least six schools out of the total 22 that will be transformed into Onassis Schools.

As noted, starting this year, a unified platform will be available for electronic applications to the Model, Experimental, and PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS.

Regarding the Onassis Schools
The selection criteria for the 22 schools that will be transformed into Onassis Schools were socio-economic and demographic. These specific school units, which will not be near existing Model Schools, will operate in the following areas: in Attica, PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS will be established in Kolonos, Kypseli, Menidi, Perama, and Peristeri. In Thessaloniki, they will be established in Xirokrini and Evosmos, while in the rest of the country, in Kozani, Xanthi, Rhodes, and Heraklion.

Regarding the students already attending the 2nd and 3rd grade of Gymnasium or high school at the schools that will be transformed into Public Onassis Schools, it is emphasized that they will continue their studies in those schools until they graduate. However, the diploma they receive will come from the school they attended before it was transformed into an Onassis School.

The Entrance Examinations
For the admission of new students to the 1st Gymnasium and 1st Lyceum in the Onassis Schools, written exams will take place one week after the exams for Model Schools, at the beginning of May. It is emphasized that the exams for the Onassis Schools will have the same subjects for everyone, and the topics will be distributed simultaneously via an electronic platform.

A necessary condition for participation in the exams is the submission of an application. Applicants can also indicate their preference for Model or Experimental Schools, specifying their preference order among them, with no restrictions based on their place of residence, as long as it is within the same Regional Education Directorate.

According to a relevant amendment passed in Parliament, the criterion of locality is prioritized. Therefore, if desired, students who are permanent residents of the municipal unit (if it is a large municipality) or the municipality (if it is a small municipality) where the school that will be transformed into an Onassis School is located, can register there. These specific candidates are given priority over others, as at least 40-60% of the spots will be allocated to them, with 60% applying to large urban centers. Therefore, even if some students score very low, they will be able to enroll, covering the designated number based on their score ranking.

Siblings of applicants for Public Onassis Schools will also be treated favorably. Specifically, for the first two years, there will be facilitation in the admission of younger siblings of students already attending the schools that will be transformed into PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS.

Conclusion
In Public Onassis Schools, tuition will be completely free, and student transportation will be provided by the local Regional Authority.

The ‘Philosophy’ of the Onassis Schools and the Content of the Curriculum
The Public Onassis Schools, which will be established in areas facing social and economic challenges, are expected to align with the timetable of Model Schools. Special emphasis will be placed on Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Digital Education, and Emotional and Social Intelligence.

To achieve these goals, Clubs and Ensembles will operate after the mandatory program, focusing on the aforementioned directions through innovative actions and supplementary teaching.

More specifically, the Clubs will include academic fields such as Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, and Digital Technology, Humanities (mainly Greek Language, Ancient Greek, Greek and Foreign Literature and Literature), Foreign Languages, History, Rhetoric, Argumentation, Environmental Education, as well as other fields such as Visual Arts, Music, Theater, and Sports. Within the Clubs, systematic preparation for the National Exams will also be conducted for 2nd and 3rd Lyceum students. The Ensembles will focus on the creation or interpretation of one or more artistic works, mainly musical, theatrical, performative, or other.

Participation will be mandatory for students for at least 10 hours per week, and as has been announced, access to Clubs and Ensembles will be free after noon for the rest of the children in the area.

Regarding the Teachers
Teachers already serving in the schools that are being transformed into Onassis Schools will have the opportunity to stay at the school for two years for training and adaptation to new requirements. Afterward, if they receive a positive evaluation, they will be able to continue serving at the same school for the next four years, with the possibility of renewal.

For the selection of teaching staff, scientific pedagogical formation and training are taken into account, as evidenced by educational degrees, training, and foreign language proficiency. Furthermore, their scientific and writing work is assessed, including participation in research programs at universities or scientific institutions as researchers, awards, scientific publications in reputable journals, presentations at scientific conferences, and the design and creation of educational materials. Familiarity with modern forms of digital technology is also taken into consideration. Additionally, the overall personality and formation of the candidate will be evaluated through a structured oral interview before the Administrative Committee of the Onassis Schools.

It is noted that the selection criteria for Psychologists, Social Workers, School Nurses, and Computer Scientists in public secondary education are equally strict.

Public Onassis Schools will be open to permanent teachers in public secondary education from all over the country, with at least four years of teaching experience in public or private education.

Although Onassis Schools teachers will be paid by the state, they will receive an additional salary for running the Clubs and Ensembles.

Specifically, for the first four years, Onassis School Directors will receive €400 per month for additional services, Deputy Directors €350 per month, and other teaching staff €320 per month. This salary corresponds to 24 hours per month beyond the mandatory teaching hours and for a period of 9 months. Psychologists, Social Workers, School Nurses, and Computer Scientists will receive a lump-sum compensation of €300 per month for services provided within the expanded operation of the Onassis Schools.

Teachers working in the summer sections will receive double the salary mentioned above, on a monthly basis, for 20 hours of work over a period of up to 2 months, paid by the Onassis Foundation.

For the support of the Public Onassis Schools’ operation, the Foundation will also cover the costs of continuous professional development of teaching staff through their participation in special training programs in Greece or abroad—additional to those provided or organized by the Ministry of Education, the IEP, or the European Union.

As for teachers who will lose their permanent position following the transformation of schools into Public Onassis Schools, they will be given absolute priority for placement in vacant positions at neighboring schools within the same transfer area. However, those who are not definitively placed in a school will be at the disposal of the relevant Service Council until their final placement with absolute priority.

Other Obligations of the Onassis Foundation
With a donation of €160 million, the Onassis Foundation will cover the equipment and infrastructure upgrading costs for the 22 schools that will be transformed into Onassis Schools.
Additionally, the Foundation will provide up to €1,000,000 per school per year for infrastructure upgrades and improvements and up to €500,000 per school for supporting actions and covering expenses.
Finally, the Onassis Foundation will allocate €6,000,000 for covering unforeseen expenses arising from the operation of the Onassis School network.

The Administrative Structure of Public Onassis Schools
The PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS will be managed by a nine-member committee. Specifically, five members will be appointed by the Ministry of Education, Religion, and Sports by decision of the responsible Minister, and the remaining four members by the Onassis Foundation.

For the daily operation of the PUBLIC ONASSIS SCHOOLS, the responsibility will lie with the Director, the Deputy Director, and the Teachers’ Association, while the schools in the Onassis Schools network will fall under the administrative supervision of the local Directorate of Secondary Education.