In Greece, as in the other countries of the European Union, the major issues concerning teachers and teaching staff of all educational levels are summarized as follows:

• Initial education
• Conditions of service, terms of employment
• Continuing professional training

Teachers   in Primary and Secondary Education

Initial training for Primary and Secondary Education teachers falls under the Higher Education University sector, while all teachers in Primary Education - including Pre-primary and Primary School Education - as well as teachers in Secondary Education, hold at least a first cycle degree.  

Regarding the appointment and recruitment system, the provisions of  Law  4589/2019 as supplemented by Law 4823/2021, a new legislative framework for the appointment of teachers and secondary education and members of the Special Education Staff   and Special Support Staff  was implemented from 29-1-2019, as well as the recruitment of substitute and hourly paid teachers for both general education and special education under the authority of the Supreme Council for the Selection of Personnel.

Specifically, the appointment/recruitment of teaches is carried out exclusively by means of evaluative ranking lists of candidates by sector and speciailty, which are drawn up by the ASEP, following a request from the Ministry of Education, in accordance with educational needs. These lists are drawn up on the basis of predetermined and objective criteria, as defined in the provisions of Law (4589/2019) (chapter E') in descending order of total score  as determined by the cumulative scoring of these criteria and will be  valid until the end of the second school year following the end of the school year  in which their publication in the Government Gazette took place. Academic qualifications, actual educational experience and social criteria will be taken into account (see Section 9.2 "Access to the profession").

The procedure is open to all those who have the formal qualification for appointment to primary or secondary education. Interested persons may apply for appointment as permanent and/or temporary substitute or hourly teachers or members of the special education staff and special support staff. in the manner specified in the relevant ASEP notice.

For the purpose of verifying the qualification of primary and secondary education staff, diplomas, as well as postgraduate and doctoral degrees awarded by foreign educational institutions, shall be accepted under the conditions set out in Chapter 9.2  "Access to the profession", in accordance with Law 4653/2020.

With regard to the status of teachers of Primary and Secondary Education, transfers, secondments and transfers of teachers of these levels and are regulated by legislative provisions, indicatively,  Law 1566/1985, Presidential Decree 50/1996, Law 4589/2019, Law 4610/2019, Law 4653/2020, Law 4812/2021 and the provisions of Law 4823/2021 ( see also Chapter 9.2. "Staff  status" and Mobility and transfers")

Regarding issues of salary classification and development of teachers Primary and Secondary Education, law 4354/2015, in  conjunction with No. 2/31029 / DEP / 06-05-2016 revised interpretative circular of the Income Policy Department of the General Accounting Office of the State (see Chapter 9.2. "Salary and Grade Development" and "Teachers' Salaries" and article 65 of Law 4917/2022).

Law 4547/2018, as supplemented by Law 4842/2021  refers to the organization and staffing of public primary and secondary education services, and in particular to the issues of:

• Selection and evaluation of primary and secondary Education Staff (Chapters C' and D')
• In matters of planning and evaluation of the educational work of schools the planning and evaluation of teacher
• Teachers  education and  training.

Academic teaching  staff

With regard to the initial training of academic - teaching staff, there is no University School or Department in Greece with the sole purpose of providing initial training for such staff. However, in order to be able to carry out teaching or research work in Higher Education Institutions , Universities, a doctoral degree and the relevance of the candidate's doctoral thesis or research work to the subject of the post to be filled are necessary qualifications.

Law 4009/2011, as supplemented by Law 4864/2021 and the most recent Law 4957/2022, touches, among other things, the appointment and development of academic - teaching staff.  According to this law, the teaching and research staff of universities belong to the following ranks: professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers

In addition to the three categories of academic staff mentioned above, assistant professors are employed by the institutions under a fixed-term private-law contract of one to three academic years, renewable, but not exceeding a total of five academic years.

Adult Educators   

Adult educators, as well as staff at other levels, shall receive initial training at higher education institutions and shall be required to have a teaching qualification.  Once their educational competence has been recognized and certified by the National Agency for the Accreditation of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP), adult educators are registered in the Register of Trainers.

The "Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation" takes all necessary measures for the professional education and continuous professional training of its employees, which includes Adult Educators.