At a time when education is at the core of social and economic developments, the new comprehensive assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) entitled “Education Policy Review: Improving Learning Outcomes in Greece: Strengthening School Governance, Teacher Professionalism and Digital Education’, presented on Wednesday 28 January at the Ministry of Education, clearly captures both the significant progress made in recent years and the structural challenges that continue to affect the quality and equity of the Greek education system.

The Report, which is the product of international analysis, statistical data, and cooperation with the Greek authorities, concludes with a framework of recommendations on how Greece could improve the learning outcomes of its students: gradually strengthening the autonomy of school units, while ensuring national cohesion and equity. Strengthening implementation capacity at the local and regional level, so that reforms translate into real changes in the classroom. Clearly define roles and responsibilities between governance actors. Develop coherent frameworks that link teacher evaluation to professional learning. Further improve the accessibility and quality of early childhood education, particularly for children under 4 years of age. Ensure effective integration and evaluation of digital policies.

Reforms with a clear footprint

According to the report, despite long-term economic pressures, Greece has undertaken extensive and substantial reforms. Prominent among them are the introduction of internal and external evaluation of school units, the upgrading of the role of teachers through new responsibilities and leadership functions, and investments in the digital transformation of education.

At the same time, the OECD points to positive steps such as updating curricula, with an emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving, and cross-cutting skills, compulsory pre-school education from age 4, investment in digital infrastructure and platforms, and the introduction of innovations such as Skills Workshops and early language learning.

Learning outcomes

However, the picture of learning outcomes remains complex. As data from the OECD report, including the results of the PISA international education assessment (most recent in 2022), shows, the performance of 15-year-old students in Greece varies, particularly in mathematics but also in text comprehension, while socio-economic and geographical inequalities continue to affect educational opportunities.

Social and socio-economic conditions and socio-economic disadvantages are also contributing to the social and educational disadvantage.

The OECD notes that centralised system governance, while ensuring national cohesion, can limit the ability of school units to respond to local needs, leading to unevenness in the implementation of reforms between regions.

Teachers and principals at the heart of change

A central focus of the review is human resource empowerment. Teachers and principals are recognized as pedagogical leaders with a critical role in promoting continuous professional learning and improving teaching.

The report stresses that evaluation should not be punitive, but rather a feedback tool linked to teachers’ professional development and careers. The success of reforms depends on a clear alignment of policies, tools, and practices “up to the classroom.”

Digital education: investing in untapped potential

While significant investments in digital infrastructure have been made, the OECD finds that the effective integration of digital tools into everyday teaching remains limited. The technology, it points out, is not enough; systematic pedagogical use, teacher training, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating digital initiatives are needed.

The four policy pillars recommended by the OECD for the substantial upgrading of education in Greece

The OECD’s analysis focuses on four key pillars of reform:

1. School autonomy with accountability and support

The report highlights that increasing autonomy at the school level – especially in areas such as curriculum, resource management, and teacher selection – can enhance school quality and effectiveness. However, this autonomy must be accompanied by strong evaluation, accountability and support systems to avoid inconsistencies and inequalities.

2. Empowering the teaching profession

Teachers are at the heart of education reform. The report describes the Greek professional support and evaluation programme, acknowledging efforts but pointing to the need for more systematic, formative and supportive evaluation that aligns professional development with the upgrading of teaching.

3. Access and quality in early childhood education

A significant emphasis is placed on the role of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The OECD notes that expanding early childhood education, integrating the structure for children under four and improving quality through joint programmes and staff training can play a key role in helping children acquire basic skills from an early age.

4. Digital education with meaning

Digital technology is seen as a tool for transformation, not an end in itself. Despite significant investment in infrastructure such as platforms and devices, full integration of technology into teaching remains at an early stage. The report highlights the need to upgrade the digital skills of teachers and students, and to link technology to pedagogically designed activities that support learning.

Strategic horizon 2025-2027

Special reference is made to the Strategic Plan 2025-2027 of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, which reflects the planning for the implementation of the OECD recommendations and the overall strengthening of education in terms of quality, equity, and innovation.

In summary, the findings of the OECD report show that Greece now has a strong policy and reform framework in place. The critical challenge for the next period is consistency, alignment and effective implementation, so that changes are measurably reflected in learning outcomes and equal opportunities for all students.

Minister of Education, Sophia Zacharaki on the OECD report – “Reforms to reach the classroom and the student”

“A policy tool” and not just another assessment, Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, described the OECD report on improving learning outcomes in Greece. As she stressed, the government requested this review to assess what works in practice and where corrective interventions are needed.

During the presentation of the report, she underlined that she acknowledged the important reforms of recent years, such as the new curricula, the evaluation of school units, the changes in school governance, and the digital transformation of education, confirming the coherent reform path that the country has been following since 2019.

At the same time, he noted, the OECD clearly documents persistent challenges: uneven learning outcomes, social inequalities, and the gap between policy design and actual impact on learning. “We take this assessment seriously and with a sense of responsibility,” he said.

From design to implementation: digital tools and school autonomy

From the digital platform to learning and empowerment, and the use of digital resources.
Zacharaki placed particular emphasis on a series of targeted digital initiatives (eParents, EduPlan, EduQuality, EduContact), which – as she stressed – function not just as platforms, but as mechanisms for transparency, quality, planning, and accountability at the school unit level.

These initiatives, she said, are part of a broader strategy that responds to critical challenges such as demographic change, the redesign of the educational map, and the need for more autonomy with clear rules and support to avoid widening inequalities – a point highlighted in the OECD recommendations.

New curricula and basic skills

Sophia Zacharaki highlighted the importance of the new curricula, which focus on basic literacy, mathematics, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Through interdisciplinarity, Skills Workshops, and the multiple textbooks, “the pedagogical freedom of teachers is strengthened,” – as she said – “with common learning outcomes for all students.”

At the same time, he acknowledged that data from international assessments, such as PISA, revealed weaknesses in literacy and mathematics, which led to an emphasis on early intervention and implementation of changes in the classroom, in full alignment with the findings of the OECD report.

Digital transformation with a social footprint

Particular reference was made to digital education, with the Minister noting that “almost all classrooms now have interactive whiteboards (over 36,000 systems in some 7,000 schools), while actions for high-speed internet in remote and island areas are underway.”

In the same context is the Digital Tutoring Centre, which, according to the data presented, provided thousands of hours of live teaching, with tens of thousands of participants from Greece and the Greek diaspora, contributing substantially to the reduction of educational inequalities.

Primary education and equality from the beginning

The Minister stressed that, as the OECD confirms, “inequalities appear early and become entrenched if there is no early intervention. That is why early childhood education is now seen as the foundation of equity and quality, with a focus on school readiness, early literacy, and continuity with primary education.”

The introduction of English in pre-school as a tool to enhance communication and confidence, particularly for children with fewer opportunities outside of school, is part of this framework.

Teachers and principals in focus

In full alignment with the OECD Report, the Education Minister stressed that no reform can succeed without empowering teachers. She then presented the national framework for training, the massive participation of teachers in training programmes, and the development of the IEP’s Training Register. At the same time, she highlighted the upgraded role of school principals as pedagogical leaders and not just administrators, with evaluation systems that focus on improvement rather than punishment.

Strategic horizon 2025-2027

In closing, Sofia Zacharaki noted that the OECD Report coincides with a critical transition period and is part of the design of the Strategic Plan for Primary and Secondary Education 2025-2027, which sets clear priorities for improving learning outcomes, reducing inequalities, and strengthening the resilience of the system.

“Education does not belong to any one government. It belongs to society and to the future,” he said, concluding that the state’s commitment is to turn reforms into measurable learning gains for all children.