LEGAL SYSTEM
The rendering of free education to all citizens and at all levels of the State education system is a constitutional principle of the Greek State. Education is compulsory from 6 up to 15 years old.
National laws issued both by Parliament and by Presidential Decrees and Ministerial Acts prevail within the educational system. The central Administration Agency of the state education system is the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, when also oversees the evaluation and the support services of people with Special Educational Needs.
The administration of the education is allocated to the general authorities of the aforementioned Ministry, which in turn are apportioned to specific authorities e.g. the General Directorate of Studies in Primary and Secondary Education which is divided into separate offices such as Administrations of Primary Education, Special Education etc.
A number of public services report directly to the Ministry and contribute in fulfilling its functions such as the Pedagogical Institute, the Centre of Educational Research and others. In addition, the pre-school education advisors, the primary and secondary education advisors and the special education advisors belong to the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs.
The schools are directly administrated by the local authorities of education with the Directors of Education coordinating and supervising the schools in their responsibility area.
General Provision of Greek Legislation
The Greek Constitution has provided insurance, protection and equality for all Greek citizens. According to the Greek constitution:
Article 4 [Citizenship and Equality]
(1) Greek citizens are equal against the law.
(2) Greek men and women have equal rights and obligations
Relevant articles also refer to:
Article 21 [Family]
(2) Large families, war victims, disabled people in general, widows, and orphans who lost their parents in war, including those who suffer from mental or physical illness are under special state care.
(3) The State deals with health issues and applies special protective measures regarding youth, old age, disabled and those who are destitute.
A great number of Laws and Decrees issued by the Ministries (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) provide options for the best way of living of people with disabilities. Those which bare great significance are the following:
1. L.2817/2000: The categories of pupils who are considered as those with SEN are the following:
- Pupils with mental retardation
- Pupils with severe visual or hearing impairment
- Pupils with severe neurological or orthopedic impairment or severe health problems
- Pupils with speech and communication difficulties
- Pupils with special learning disabilities such as dyslexia, etc
- Pupils with severe cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, autism and developmental disorders (par. 1, article 1)
Pupils with special educational needs can be also preschool aged children or adolescents who do not match with one of the above categories but they do need special education and care for a small period or even throughout all their lives( par. 3, article 1)2. L.2286/1999 and L.2817/2000: People with disabilities have the right for get their free diagnosis from a Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre or from a Medical- Pedagogical centre or from a Public Hospital.
3. M.D G6/102357/10.10.02: Parents have the right to choose the appropriate school for their child providing that the stage of diagnosis has been preceded. Therefore a set of services collaborates with parents informing them for the most suitable education and the Individual Education Plan (IEP).
4. L.2686/1999: The insurance of children with SN is inscribed into their parent's social insurance. The type of social insurance depends on the type of parents' work and provide them the right to claim appropriate medicine services, therapies, support technical services etc
5. L.1434/1984 and MDG4a/F224/2001: Youngsters with disabilities receive a special public assistance after the ascertainment of their disabilities
Other decrees ensure protection of people with disabilities, accessibility to public buildings, rehabilitation, etc. The Greek Government has also adopted and implemented the United Nation's Laws in terms of equal opportunities by all means. Greek government also implements the legislation of the European Union which refers to education, medicare, provision, and vocational rehabilitation for the people with disabilities.
Early years education
Preschool aged children with special educational needs, according to the Greek legislation receive supporting services, medical provision, therapeutic services, etc. They also receive the support of early intervention programmes materialised by the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre or by a Day care- Pedagogical centre.
Compulsory Schooling
Under the terms of the recent Law (2817/2000), students/pupils with special educational needs are classified into six categories which are the following:
1. Mental retardation
2. Severe visual or hearing impairment
3. Severe neurological or orthopedic impairment or severe health problems
4. Speech and communication difficulties
5. Special learning disabilities such as dyslexia, etc
6. Severe cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, autism and developmental disorders
Special education in the system of primary, secondary and technical vocational education aims at: a) the development of their personality b) the improvement of their abilities and skills in order to integrate them to the mainstream school system and to succeeding their full integration to society c) their vocational training and their participation in the productivity and d) their acceptance from the society as also their equal social development. In order to achieve the previous aims the state takes care and offers the appropriate services to people with SEN until their 22nd year, at all classes of school of primary and secondary education. (Paragraph. 6, 7 article 1).
Pupils with SEN are educated in primary and secondary educational settings. Schools are organized, stuffed, supplied and supported with the appropriate ways in order to secure the necessary didactic and psycho pedagogical support of these pupils (paragraph 11, article 1)
Pupils with SEN may receive education in the following settings:
- Mainstream school with the co-teaching model applied by a specialized teacher
- Integration classes within mainstream schools
- Special schools, schools in hospitals, at home, when the pupils cannot attend any kind of the previous mentioned educational setting. (Paragr.12, article 1)
Transition Period
Decrees and laws ensure vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities and also prepare the grounds for the labour market in order to welcome the people with disabilities.
Some of these decrees are the following:
- Participation in work constitutes a right and is under the protection of the State. Additionally the state applies measures from the perspective of establishing appropriate conditions for the full employment joined with moral, ethical and financial support for the working agricultural and urban population. (Greek Constitution, Article 22 [Work, Social Security]
- Disability is not considered as a prevention of employment since the employee is responding satisfactorily to his duties with the appropriate technical support (L. 2683/1999, article 7 and L.2839/2000, Article 3).
- The total number of the employees who have a disability constitutes the 5% of the total number of employments. The procedure for their election takes place without an official competition. (L. 2643/1998)
- Employers who provide work to people with disabilities are funded (MD 30278/23.02.2002)
- People with disabilities are funded to participate in free labor (MD 30278/23.02.2002)
- The opposition for the rejection of people with disabilities from the labour market is secured by the MD 33605/15.06.1999
- The arrangement of the working environment of people with disabilities is funded from European Programmes which are integrated in general financial programs (MD 30278/23.02.2000)
