The Greek Lykeio is entering a restructuring phase, as the International Baccalaureate (International Baccalaureate – IB) is for the first time institutionally integrated into the public education system and explicitly recognised as equivalent to the General Lyceum Baccalaureate. The initiative is included in a draft law, which was put out to public consultation by the Ministry of Education, with the ambition to change the balance in secondary education and open up new paths for students.

In the new provisions, the operation of the International Baccalaureate in public schools is envisaged, while there are regulations regarding the selection of students and enrolment, the certification of IB teachers, as well as the required funding.

The certification of the IB, the certification of teachers and the financing of the necessary funding.

IB enters public high schools

According to the relevant regulations, contained in Articles 75 to 78, which amend the Law. 2327/1995 and introducing new articles (10A, 10B and 10C), which define the framework for the operation, enrolment, staffing and financing of IB departments, the two-year IB programme will be launched on a pilot basis from the next school year, 2026-27, for students in grades 2 and 3 in 13 public high schools of different types and character – Standard, Experimental, Music and Art – in three major urban areas of the country. Although the initial number of students is estimated at around 350, it is expected that this pilot stage is in fact a precursor to a wider expansion if the project is positively evaluated.

The crucial element, however, is not only the introduction of the programme, but its explicit recognition as equivalent and equivalent to the high school diploma. In other words, the IB ceases to be considered a “parallel” or alternative pathway and gains a status on a par with the Greek high school.

This equivalence does not come without conditions. More specifically, the IB will operate alongside the existing GEL program, offering an alternative educational pathway within the public school, without abolishing the traditional pathway leading to the Panhellenic Examinations.

The framework stipulates that, in addition to the courses in the international programme, IB students will be required to take compulsory examinations in Modern Greek Language and Literature and History, in accordance with the current system of preparatory and final examinations.

The presence of these courses is considered crucial for the IB diploma to “click” with the requirements of the national education system.
Based not only on the legal but also on the educational equivalence of the IB with the Greek Baccalaureate, the integration of basic Greek core courses ensures that the international programme is not cut off from the national educational identity, but coexists with it.

At the same time, most of the programme’s courses will be taught in English, a choice that reinforces the international character of the IB. It is worth noting that teaching the majority of the courses in English prepares students for studies in academic environments outside of Greece.

Selection of students and the role of the IEP

Practical implementation issues will be regulated by ministerial decisions and joint ministerial decisions, following recommendations from the Institute of Educational Policy. These will specify, inter alia, the number of students per section, the selection criteria and the schools in which IB sections will operate. It is also envisaged that students from other high schools will be able to enrol if the required number is not reached. This will allow for adjustments or corrective action. However, the question remains open as to how transparency and equal access to a prestigious programme will be ensured.

Teachers, training and funding

Special attention is also given to staffing. IB classes will be taught exclusively by certified teachers, in accordance with the standards of the International Baccalaureate Organization. A special allowance is provided for their participation in the programme, and the role of IB Coordinator is established in each school unit. At the same time, the state undertakes to cover critical costs: from examination fees and contributions to the international organisation to teacher training and the necessary equipment.

Paving the way for access to public HEIs via IB as well;

Currently, IB holders have access to universities abroad and non-state institutions in Greece. However, in the context of the wider debate on the ‘National Baccalaureate’, the debate is also opening up on whether Greek public IB graduates will be able to apply for a place in Greek public HEIs in the future, while it would require a new ‘look’ at the Panhellenic exams and the prospect of their abolition.

If this plan goes ahead, it will be a change with a profound impact on the physiognomy of the Lyceum, as the IB will cease to be merely an international passport to study and will become a fully recognised pathway within the Greek educational map.
As it turns out, the institutionalisation of the equivalence between the IB and the Greek Baccalaureate is not just a technical reform. It touches the core of the educational philosophy of the new Lyceum, raising the question of whether the public school can combine international orientation, academic rigour and national identity.