During the last decade, quality assurance in education has become the focus of educational policy. This interest lies behind the effort to include evaluation measures and strategies in the education system’s statutory structure; measures which interact with and complement each other, supporting feedback provision and improvement across the various levels of the system.
With regard to school education, the recent reform by the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs to build a uniform and integrated quality assurance system began with Law 3848/2010 ‘Upgrading of Teacher’s role - establishment of evaluation and meritocracy rules in education’. This law and article 32 in particular foresee inter alia that the school:
- Draws up an action plan at the beginning of each school year,
- Completes an evaluation report at the end of the school year, reflecting: school's overall performance; the extent to which action plan educational objectives have been met ; school's priorities for action and improvement for the following school year.
In accordance with the law, the action plan and the evaluation report shall be uploaded on the school webpage and submitted to the central education authorities. Systematic school internal evaluation was, hereby, introduced while the Education Research Center (KEE) was assigned with developing the suitable supporting framework for the implementation of this process.
In the context of Law 3848/2010 (article 32) and of the guidelines established by the previous Law 2986/2002 (article 4), the implementation of the pilot project "Evaluation of School's Educational Work - Self-Evaluation Process (AEE)" began in July 2010. The project, carried out by the Education Research Center (ΚΕΕ) – further renamed into the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) - aimed at formulating an integrated school internal evaluation framework; and at piloting the implementation of this framework as the first stage of the full implementation of the institution. Two Ministerial Decisions designated approximately 500 primary and secondary education school units to participate in the pilot project.
By Ministerial Decision 30972/Γ1/5-3-2013 the implementation of School Internal Evaluation (Evaluation of School's Educational Work - Self-Evaluation Process) was generalised, beginning school year 2013-14, in all primary and secondary education schools across the country. By Presidential Decree 152/2013 on teacher evaluation, “an internal hierarchical form" of evaluation/assessment for officials and teachers» has been instituted, in which evaluators are education officials directly involved in shaping under-evaluation sectors. This differentiates internal hierarchical evaluation from the "external hierarchical evaluation" in which the evaluators have not being involved in the drafting of the sectors under review. The institutional framework as described above is inactive for consultation.
Quality assurance in school education was complemented with the issue of the Presidential Decree 152/2013 on teacher evaluation. This Decree introduced a hierarchical type of evaluation of all teachers and education executives, determining the specific evaluation instruments, criteria and processes.
Law 3966/2011 introduced an additional legislative development of equal importance. The law regards the establishment of the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) by abolishing at the same time the Pedagogical Institute (PI), the Education Research Center (KEE), the Organisation for Teacher Training (OEPEK) and the Institute for Greek National Education and Cross-cultural Education (IPODE). The Institute's competences vis-a-vis quality assurance involve opinion delivery and recommendations to the Minister of Education on issues regarding the evaluation of the administrative and educational structures of primary and secondary education as well as of teachers.
Finally, Law 4142/2013 enshrines the establishment of an independent administrative authority named "Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education" (ADIPPDE). The Law stipulates that the Authority in question shall undertake the supervision, coordination and support of all school education evaluation actions, setting as its task to ensure high quality in primary and secondary education.
In Higher Education, quality assurance is regulated by virtue of Law 3374/2005, which determines the framework and the specific processes of internal and external evaluation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The same law sets up an independent administrative authority with the name ‘Hellenic Quality Assurance Agency’ (ADIP). ADIP is administratively autonomous, is supervised by the Minister of Education and is responsible at central level for quality assurance in higher education. Its main purpose is to supervise, coordinate and support all evaluation processes in Higher Education Institutions. By Law 4009/2011, ADIP was renamed into "Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (ADIP)", taking over additional responsibilities, mainly in relation to accreditation of internal quality assurance systems and curricula. Law 3374/2005 also foresees the setting up of a "Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP)" in every Higher Education Institution to support and coordinate the evaluation processes therein.
Lifelong Learning activities at all levels (national, regional, local) are governed by the principle of monitoring and evaluation by the General Secretariat for Lifelong Learning and Youth, aiming at quality assurance and improvement of all services provided. Moreover, a significant institutional development is the merger by absorption of the National Accreditation Center for Lifelong Learning (EKEPIS) and of the National Center for Vocational Guidance (EKEP) into a single body named "National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP)". EOPPEP is responsible for quality assurance of non-formal education, while operating as a National Reference Point for the European Network for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training. In cooperation with the General Secretariat for Lifelong Learning and Youth and other administration bodies of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, a National Framework for Quality in Lifelong Learning (π3) has been created. This framework lays the quality principles as regards the three components of the educational process, namely inputs, procedures and outputs. It also serves as a self-evaluation tool for administration bodies and providers of education and training through measurable qualitative and quantitative indicators to evaluate the implementation of quality principles.