Formal education
- It is provided in well-organised state or private institutions, of which general and vocational education can be distinguished.
- Duration of studies: elementary school is 6 years, gymnasium - three years, technical vocational schools - TEE - two and three years, lyceum - three years, higher technological institution - three and a half years, and universities four years.
- The curriculum is not "free" (it is defined by the Ministry of Education).
- The title of studies gives the student the right to go to the next rung of education or enter the world of work according to the criteria the law has established.
Informal education
Informal education is not run by strict rules as far as duration, curriculum, title of rights, etc are concerned. It includes every private or state educational activity that does not belong to formal education.
Greece has shown special interest for development of an informal education during the last fifteen years because it recognises that this form of training is much more substantial for certain cases and it is offered in a quite wide network of state and private units. This interest is reflected in law 200/1992, according to which OEEK (Organisation of Vocational Education and Training) has been established and developed.
Access to Education Opportunities for Disabled Persons after Compulsory Education
Disabled children, who can continue their studies at lyceums or tertiary education, are given the possibility to do so. There are 35 special schools for deaf students and 20 for physically handicapped. Blind children attend regular education secondary schools, while all disabled students can continue their studies in the University without entrance examinations. Vocational education for the disabled, however, has not been developed to a satisfied degree. This is especially true for those having multiple handicaps and severe learning and/or behavioural problems.
There are 7 special vocational schools supervised by the Ministry of Education and many workshops functioning within rehabilitation centres in different places of Greece, especially in the big cities, but they are too few to meet the present needs. Most of these workshops are supervised and controlled by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, while a small number of them are run by the Man Power Service.
What Happens to Young People with Special Needs When They Leave School
There has been relatively little evaluative research, but a number of Master thesis written by graduate students of the University of Athens (S. Polychronopoulou, 1996, 1999) as well as research studies conducted by rehabilitations centres (Theotokos) give us a rather disturbing picture on the rates of unemployment among handicapped people as well as the type and content of vocational training offered to them. As far as unemployment is concerned, studies have shown very high percentage of young people with moderate learning disabilities or emotional and behavioural difficulties, who disappear from the system once they leave education or remain unemployed after they finish vocational training. The whole area is generally under-researched.
Is There an Existing Transition Programme?
Ministry of Education does not define and/or impose to schools a transition plan for each student. However, several rehabilitation centres run a national training programme and within this programme transition exists for those who wish to work in the open labour market. Service providers promote job placement training to the job and psycho-educational support after employment.
Major Components of Present Training Programmes (age of trainees: 14+ or 16+)
- Initial assessment: Admission to a vocational training centre depends on the results of the applicant's complete psycho-medical diagnosis. (Intelligence tests, as well as aptitude tests to assess manual dexterity and levels within several areas of functioning are also administered).
- Pre-vocational experience: This phase is designed to orient the trainee with the range of vocational skills offered by the centre, in order to further assess his capacity for a particular job.
- Vocational training: Most students' week is often made up of 25 to 30 periods of instruction, which includes periods in occupational training, social skills (daily living skills) training and periods of enrichment involving a variety of activities such as athletics and music.
- In-centre job placement: In most occupational units students are often placed on jobs within the centre for one or more hours a day or for a few weeks. This phase is designed to acquaint students with the world of work in an actual work environment where their occupational teachers can closely supervise them.
- Community job placement as part of the training programme: To bring about effective and efficient career programming, many vocational rehabilitation centres employ exposure to the work world of the community as part of their programme. The student is thus placed in a real life work environment where supervision and evaluation can continue.
- Follow-up support: Several rehabilitation vocational centres have one or more specialists to officially keep contact with the handicapped after his/her employment placement to provide support and assistance to him/her or to the employers.
Advisory and Support Services
- Vocational guidance and placement services: Psycho educational assessment and counselling to the handicapped and the family are offered by a specialist support team, which works within the centre and usually includes a psychologist and a social worker. Medico psychological assessment can also be offered in diagnostic centres located mainly in the big cities and supervised by the Ministry of health and Social Services. Professionals working in these centres are usually psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and educational diagnosticians.
Encouraging Business to Offer Jobs to Disabled People
This is mainly attained (a) by a quota system according to which all those employing more than 50 workers should include among them a proportion of disabled workers, (b) 80% of the available telephone operator position should be reserved to blind people, (c) the Manpower Commission Service of the Ministry of Work applies a number of financial incentives to persuade employers to hire persons with disabilities.
Vocational Training for Complex Needs
There has been increasing concern over the last seven years about how to meet the continued educational needs of people with profound and complex learning difficulties. It is believed that the new Innovative Draft Special Education Law of 1999 concerning education, vocational training and social care of children and adults aged 0 to 22, which will soon become an Act, will make it easier to meet the needs of these people.
Interesting Elements from Our National Situation Regarding Transition
- The Hellenic Association of supported employment: The H.A.S.E. promotes transition programmes and job placement for all disabled persons by offering seminars and consultation to staff, employers and parents concerning the expertise necessary for facilitating transition and increasing the number of handicapped persons in the open labour market.
- Mainstreaming projects: for elementary school age children with special needs conducted by rehabilitation vocational centres.
- Continuing vocational training for unemployed persons who are interested in working within the field of special education conducted by (a) several Greek universities, (b) a few rehabilitation vocational centres and (c) Local municipalities with the collaboration and support of the Ministry of Work and the European Community.