Types of institutions

General lower secondary education is provided in gymnasia (lower secondary schools). Attendance lasts 3 years. It consists of grades A, B and C.
Students follow a common curriculum, without any differentiations.
In addition, some lower secondary schools offer an experimental curriculum or are oriented towards students with specific inclinations or educational needs.
The schools which provide compulsory secondary education and lead to the relevant certificates are the following:

Day lower secondary schools

Imerisia gymnasia (day lower secondary schools) are the main providers of general compulsory secondary education. They are attended by the majority of students in secondary education.  They constitute over 90% of the educational institutions providing general compulsory secondary education.
In Greece, there are 1566 day lower secondary schools.

Evening lower secondary schools

Esperina gymnasia (evening lower secondary schools) are attended by students over 14 years old, who are employed.  Attendance lasts 3 years and includes 3 grades: A, B and C which correspond to the grades of day lower secondary schools.
There are 75 evening lower secondary schools.

Music schools

The purpose of Music schools is to prepare and train young people who wish to follow the professional direction of music, without falling behind in general education, offering simulaltaneously the option of choosing another scientific or professional career (ministerial decision 3345/Γ2/2-9-1988).

Students of lower secondary music schools attend music courses, in addition to general education courses, with a total of 13 to 14 teaching hours per week, depending on the grade.  
According to the Ministerial Decision 106689 / Δ2 / 18-8-2020, the total number of hours of general education courses and music education courses amounts to 42, on a weekly basis, for all classes of the music lower secondary school. The progress of music lower secondary school students in music education courses is a condition for their stay in this type of school, regardless of whether the students have been promoted to the next grade,  in general education. 
 Primary school students wishing to enroll in a music secondary school have to pass before a special committee set up for each music school separately. The subjects in which the prospective students are evaluated for their enrollment in the first grade of a music secondary school are: Rhythm, Acoustic ability, Vocal ability, Timbre distinction and optionally the ability to play an Instrument (European or traditional), at least at a level equivalent to the criteria of secondary education music schools (Ministerial decision 20923/Δ2/23-2-2021).
The number of music schools is 53.

Art schools

The Art Schools were established by law 3194/2003 and include the direction of: 

1. Fine arts 
2. Theater - cinema 
3. Dance. 

The purpose of the Art Schools is to encourage and support students' interest in the arts, as well as to further cultivate and educate their skills and talent. 
The school curriculum of Art schools includes, in addition to art education courses of the three directions above,  general education courses of the general upper secondary school. The primary aim being to train young people who wish to follow a professional direction in the field of theatre, dance and visual arts, without at the same time falling behind in general education. 
The schedule of the Art lower secondary schools is expanded and is adjusted to 40 hours per week (Ministerial Decision 106696 / Δ2 / 18-8-2020). 
Students graduating from primary schools are enrolled in the first grade of Arts Gymnasiums after entrance exams. Each student can be a candidate in one or two directions. Students who succeed in two directions, enroll in the direction in which the took they obtained the highest score. 
The number of Art Schools that operate in the whole country amounts to 10.

Lower secondary schools of special education and training 

According to law 3699/2008, special education lower secondary schools include a preliminary class and grades A', B', C'. Primary school graduates with disabilities and special educational needs can be enrolled directly in grade A class of a lower secondary school of special education and training, after an evaluation carried out by the relevant Interdisciplinary Asssessment, Counselling and Support Centre (KEDASY).
The curriculum timetable programs for the 3 classes of special education upper secondary schools are specified in the Ministerial Decision 83315 / Δ3 / 30-6-2020. 
The number of public special education lower secondary schools currently amount to 8. 
More information is available in Chapter 12.

Minority lower secondary schools 

Minority education in Greece, refers exclusively to the registered Muslim residents of Thrace, Greek citizens, Muslims by religion. These people are basically, descendants of people that chose to stay during the exchange of Muslim population residing in Greece and Greeks residing in Asia Minor, that took place between Greece and Turkey with the signing of the Treaty of  Lausanne.
The minority education system in Greece is based on the Treaty of Lausanne, as assisted by the provisions of subsequent Educational Protocols, and defined by Greek law.  This education system consists of a bilingual teaching program, distributing the instruction time between the Turkish and Greek languages in an equal way, with the two languages being both languages of isntruction and taught subjects.
The bilingual curriculum is developed in agreement and correspondence with the curricula of mainstream public schools in the country, but with an emphasis on preserving, cultivating and promoting the linguistic and cultural background of the muslim greek citizens of Thrace.
There are currently two minority lower secondary schools in Thrace.

Second chance schools 

Second chance schools  were established by law 2525/97 as a flexible adult education program that enables learners who have dropped education, before completing their compulsory education, to continue their studies and obtain a degree equivalent to the lower secondary school diploma.
The purpose of Second Chance schools, according to law 4763/2020, is: 

• the completion of compulsory education for learners aged eighteen years and over
• the reconnection of trainees with education and training systems, 
• the acquisition of modern knowledge, skills and attitudes that will help adults in their later social economic integration and development, 
• strengthening learners' self-esteem and 
• to contribute to the integration of learners to the labor market or to the improvement of their position in the workplace. 

Attendance at Second Chance schools & Curriculum: 
According to law 4763/2020: 

• To enroll in a Second chance schools you must have: a) completed the eighteenth year of age by December 31 of the year of registration or have exceeded the eighteenth year of age and b) not completed the compulsory nine-year education but obtain a primary school leaving certificate. 
• Instruction in second chance schools may last up to two school years. 
• The curriculum is open and flexible and aims to provide knowledge and develop skills and attitudes. The core of the curriculum consists of cognitive and literacy subjects, which are in line with the eight core competencies of the European Framework of Reference.

There are 86 Second chance schools throughout the country, 12 of which operating in Detention Facilities.

Geographical accessibility

In order to ensure the provision of secondary education to students of remote regions, attempts are made for the geographical distribution of lower secondary education schools according to the needs and specificities of local conditions.  In general, the establishment and operation of lower secondary education schools is the result of cooperation, recommendations and suggestions of the local community and the competent educational authorities.
Responsibility for the transportation of students living in remote areas, according to ministerial decision 50025/26-09-2018 falls within the region in which the school is based.  In particular, regional authorities offer free transportation to students of public lower secondary education schools. For students attending lower secondary schools and for distances of up to 2,500 kilometres  students are provided with cost free travel cards and can travel via public transport. When transportation covers distances of more than 3,000 kilometres there is  provision of transportation through public contracts ministerial decision 53173/11-08-2022.

Admission requirements and choice of school

Attendance at lower secondary education school is compulsory.  In order to enroll in lower secondary education schools, students must hold a primary education qualification.
Students attend the lower secondary education school unit of the region of their permanent residence.  In cities where several schools operate, the boundaries of the areas of each school, as well as the maximum number of students are determined by decision of the local director of secondary education.  Since school jurisdiction areas cannot be established under the jurisdiction of one single education director, they are defined by decision of the regional director of education.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/students

Attendance at lower secondary education schools lasts 3 years and consists of grades A, B and C. Students enroll in grade A at the age of 12, after graduating from primary school.  Enrolment may sometimes extend beyond that age, for example for students who have to repeat the same grade at the primary level.  Attendance is compulsory, as long as the student has not exceeded the age of 16 (l. 1566/1985).
Each grade consists of one or more classes, depending on the number of students, while the number of students per class cannot exceed the total number of 27 pupils. Classes with 25 pupils and above are divided into seperate classes. (Joint Ministerial Decision 129818/Γ2/1-10-13 on the number of students per class in lower secondary and upper secondary schools and l. 4610/2019).

English Language teaching in lower secondary education follows a placement test in grade A.  If there are gaps in the foreign language required level of competence, students are placed accordingly in the respective levels (ministerial decision 135800/Δ2/23-08-2016).
As regards the second foreign language (French or German), students are divided in classes that run in parallel. In lower secondary education, where a single class of general education operates, A grade students are taught the second foreign language chosen by the majority of students (ministerial decision 53476/ΓΔ4/28-03-2017).
Finally, concerning the subject Technology and IT, the class is divided into two groups, when the number of students exceeds 21 (ministerial decision 74442/Δ2/19-6-2020).
In lower secondary education, instruction time of specific subjects, as described in the detailed curricula, is conducted by teachers specialized in the respective subject.  For example, the teaching of history is entrusted to a Greek language and literature teacher, mathematics to a mathematician, physics to a physics teacher, etc.
For the smooth operation of the school unit and if necessary, teachers are sometimes assigned the teaching of other subjects related to their broader field of discipline, (science or arts) such as the assignment of history to a foreign language teacher (ministerial decision 85980/Δ2/03-7-2020). 

Organisation of the school year

The organization of the school year for lower secondary education is defined at central level.  The school year begins on 1 September and ends on 31 August of the following year.
The academic year for schools begins on the 1st of September 1st and ends on the 30th of June.
The teaching of subjects runs through two academic periods called terms. The first term lasts from 11 September to 20 January.  The second term begins on 21 January and ends with the end of the school year.   Between the 1st and the 30th of June, schools deliver the first period of exams, which include written follow-up revision exams on group A subjects -subjects taught in secondary education fall under 3 group-categories.

According to presidential decree 126/2016:
The first group (group A) includes the following basic subjects: 

1. Modern Greek Language and Literature (language teaching and modern Greek literature) 
2. Ancient Greek Language and Literature (ancient Greek language, ancient Greek translated texts 
3. History 
4. Mathematics 
5. Physics 
6. Biology 
7. English

The second group (group B) includes the following subjects: 

1. Geology-Geography 
2. Chemistry
3.  Civil Education 
4. Religious Education
5.  Second Foreign Language
6.  Technology – IT 
7. Home Economics

The third group (group C) includes the following subjects:

1. Music – Art 
2. PE
3. Skills development workshops

During the first ten days of September and before the next school year starts, students participate in the second examination period and re-sit follow-up revision exams on subjects for which their annual performance grade is below ten (10), provided that the number of these subjects does not exceed  the number of four. For Group A subjects, follow-up revision exams are both oral and written. For Group B and Group C subjects, follow-up revision exams are only oral.

No teaching and exams take place during Christmas holidays (two weeks), Easter holidays (two weeks) and summer holidays (from 1 July to 31 August).
During summer holidays schools remain open once a week for administrative purposes.
The days of operation of school units are approximately 189 annually.  They are organized in weeks of 5 days (Monday to Friday).  The number of teaching hours on a weekly basis amount to 33 hours for grades A and B and to 34 hours for grade C for day lower secondary schools; to 24 hours for grades A and B  and to 25 hours for grade C for evening lower secondary Schools.

 School programmetimetables are set based on the detailed curricula by ministerial decisions and apply to all general lower secondary education schools of the country.  Details on the school programme timetables of general lower secondary education schools can be found in the section "Teaching and Learning in General Lower Secondary Education". 
Other types of lower secondary education schools, such as arts or music schools, where students are also taught arts or music subjects respectively, follow a slightly modified timetable. 

Organisation of the school day and week

Remedial teaching classes (Compensatory education: ministerial decision 114342/Δ2/2023) operate in lower secondary education schools in order to:

• Reintegrate students in the learning process
• Facilitate students to improve their performance in order to complete attendance of the levels of compulsory Education 
• Reduce early dropouts
• Increase percentage of access in upper secondary education

The term 'remedial teaching' means the attendance of lower secondary education students of an autonomous support teaching programme at the end of the daily school time. Students can attend the following subjects:

1. Modern Greek Language and Literature
2. Ancient Greek Language and Literature
3. Maths
4. Physics
5. Chemistry
6. English Language.

Remedial education operates every school year and ends when all school classes end, before the beginning of exams.
Remedial education is implemented in compensatory education (antistathmistiki ekpaidefsi) school centres. These school centres are staffed by groups of neighbouring lower secondary school units. The centres are appointed in each Directorate of Secondary Education by the Regional Directors of Primary and Secondary Education. Remedial education is provided in every school year and ends upon completion of lessons and the beginning of exams.

In every school unit besides school classrooms, auxiliary classrooms, gym, event spaces, library  ,science lab and IT lab are provided. Every class has their own classroom per teaching year while the remaining facilities are used in turn by different classes depending on the weekly schedule needs or extraordinary events.