Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Greece, education funding is highly centralised, with the state budget and the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports (MoERS) providing the primary financial resources for all levels of education, from pre-primary to higher education. At the primary education level, the central government finances the entirety of education expenditure, allocating 95% directly and transferring 5% to local authorities.
The transfer of resources to schools involves several central authorities, including the MoERS, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The funding system is divided across multiple agencies, with the Ministry of Finance responsible for salaries, the DIOFANTOS Computer Technology and Press Institute financing textbooks, and K.Y.S.A., an agency under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, supporting school investments and maintenance costs.
Regional Directorates of Education, operating as decentralised arms of MoERS, receive block grants for specific categories of educational resources. Municipalities are allocated block grants from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and MoERS to cover non-teaching staff and facility needs, based on school requirements. Salaries, accounting for 89% of the Ministry of Education’s budget in 2025, are paid directly from the central government to teaching staff (see here for a detailed diagram of education funding flow). Schools retain very limited discretion over resources, restricted to small budgets for minor operational costs, including small-scale repairs and maintenance.
The state budget for primary and secondary education consists of the Ordinary Budget, covering operational expenses, and the Public Investment Budget, which finances the Public Investment Programme aligned with national development policy. The Public Investment Programme supports infrastructure costs and is co-financed by national and European Union resources.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The regional structure of education was initially established by Law 2986/2002. The main management and governance structure of school education at the regional level is the Regional Primary and Secondary Education Directorate, a decentralised service of the MoERS present in each of the 13 regions of the country. These regional education authorities serve as the regional administrative arm of the Ministry, coordinating and supervising the implementation of educational policy for primary and secondary education within their jurisdiction.
The Office of Minority Education within the Regional Directorate of Education of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, supervises the operation of minority schools serving the resident Muslim community at primary and secondary level. The Coordinating Office for Minority Education in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace was established by Law 2009/1992.
The funding mechanism for operational school needs (utilities, maintenance) was significantly revised by Law 5056/2023, which abolished School Committees and transferred direct management authority to the municipalities. Municipalities receive funds for education based on two main levels of criteria: 1) population and demographic characteristics (total population of the municipality and population in specific age groups, such as preschool children and population aged 3-14, which is directly related to the number of students; and geomorphological characteristics (area and altitude of the municipality to cover increased operating costs in mountainous and island municipalities); and 2) economic/social characteristics (i.e. economic status of the municipality e.g. in an effort to balance fiscal capacity).
2. Education resources to schools
Criteria for Resource Allocation from the Municipality to Schools
When the municipality receives the funds from the central government, the further distribution of the specific budget for education to individual schools is based on educational and operational criteria. The main ones are: 1) number of students; 2) number of classes operating in each school; 3) number of teaching rooms (the physical space that requires maintenance and operational expenses); and 4) operational elements and special infrastructure. The latter includes the existence and operation of gyms; existence and operation of multi-purpose rooms, laboratories, libraries, etc; age of the building (which requires higher maintenance and repair costs); and special needs (i.e. special needs that a specific school may have e.g., students with special needs, remote area, transport needs).
Education for Students with Disabilities
Special education schools provide students with special educational needs with support equipment and additional auxiliary materials, including specialised software, appropriate ICT equipment, hearing aids, braille typewriters, and wheelchairs, to facilitate access to education. The primary legal framework for special education was established by Law 1143/1981, with subsequent legislation, including Law 3699/2008 and subsequent modifications, incorporating provisions for integration within public education.
Zones of Educational Priority
Zones of Educational Priority, or ZEP, were established under Law 3879/2010 and first piloted in 2010. They include Regional Directorates of Primary and Secondary Education that can run reception classes to improve access to education in disadvantaged areas. ZEP reception classes were established in the context of the Intercultural Education in both primary and secondary education to provide additional support to foreign and repatriate students, in particular for Greek language comprehension, and prepare them for their integration into the Greek education system. The programme provides additional funding and staff to schools in regions where students face difficulties due to geographical, social, or economic factors. ZEP aims to support students from pre-primary to upper secondary level who do not have the required level of Greek, including Roma, foreign, repatriate, refugee, and other vulnerable groups, helping them integrate into the Greek education system. As of 2025, ZEP schools exist in all 13 regions, with the highest numbers in Attica, Central Macedonia, and Eastern Macedonia-Thrace. The programme is run by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and funded by the EU, with no costs charged to the state budget. Ηowever, as these classes operate within public schools, their operational costs are covered by the state budget.
Reception Structures for Refugee Education (DYEP) and ZEP Reception Classes
Since 2016, the MoERS has introduced measures to ensure refugee and migrant children can access education, with financial support from the EU. Refugee children attend pre-primary, primary, and secondary school units, fully integrated into the public education system. Additional funding is provided to schools running Reception Structures for Refugee Education, or DYEP, which operate within public schools and deliver short-term introductory programmes of one to two years for children aged 4 to 15 living in nearby refugee accommodation centres. DYEPs aim at preparing refugee children to integrate into the typical education system through the intensive study of the Greek language. They operate either as branches of local school units or within their premises. The key focus of these centres is the intensive language acquisition (Greek as a second language) and cultural orientation before full integration into the standard curriculum. ESPA or MoERS also funds specialised training for teachers to staff these programmes (ZEP, DYEP, special education). ZEP reception classes are also available for students, including refugees, who do not have the required level of Greek.
Digital School Platform
The Digital School Platform is a free, comprehensive digital platform funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund designed to provide supplementary educational support to students in their academic path and preparation for national exams, primarily for public school students, benefitting particularly the islands and remote regions that make up Greece’s geography. One of the aims of the programme is to lighten the financial burden on Greek families while promoting educational equity through digital means. This includes classes for remote areas to cater to students in remote islands and mountainous regions. The programme includes digital tutorial content (asynchronous learning) for students in the 5th – 12th grades and live tutoring for national exams (synchronous learning) for third-grade upper secondary students preparing for the Panhellenic University Entry Exams. The service is free for all eligible students, and includes support for students with special educational needs.
The Enterprise Agreement for the Development Framework (ESPA)
The Enterprise Agreement for the Development Framework (ESPA), initially launched in Greece in 2007 with the latest programme period being 2021-27, is the basic strategic plan for the development of the country (including for education). While the programme also receives funding from the government, most of its financing comes from the European Structural and Investment Funds of the European Union. The Human Resources and Social Cohesion Programme specifically includes objectives for promoting equal access to quality and inclusive education, with funding to schools for the inclusive integration of children with disabilities, refugee and migrant children, and Roma students. This includes remedial teaching, a support programme for students with learning difficulties, mainly in lower secondary schools, which aims to reduce dropout and educational inequalities.
3. Education resources to students and families
Financial Support for Student Transportation
The Ministry of Internal Affairs provides financial support for student transportation of primary and secondary public school students, including monthly allowances who live in remote areas, students with disabilities, refugees and migrants, and students of music, art, and cultural schools who carry large or heavy instruments. Regional authorities organise transportation using public transport, regional or municipal buses with special student travel passes, or public service contracts. Private transport companies may also receive funding to provide transport for students in mountainous areas, islands, or other locations without public transport.
A monthly allowance is also available when student transport is not possible or financially viable, allowing students to stay in accommodation near their school. For students transported by parents or legal guardians, allowances are calculated based on the one-way distance from home to school. The allowance may not exceed 1,500 EUR per student per school year, except for students with disabilities. Some of these education costs are shared between the MoERS and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The child allowance, initially established by Law 4512/2018 (replacing earlier family benefits for dependent children) is granted to families by the Organisation of Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity, OPEKA, based on the number of dependent children and family income. Three categories of household income have been set out (a): Up to EUR 6,000; b): EUR 6,001 to 10,000; and c) EUR 10,001 to 15,000), and depending on the category of equivalent household income, the benefit amounts vary for the first, second and from the third dependent child and onwards. It is granted for any dependent child up to the age of 18, or 19 if attending secondary education. For children of compulsory school age (ages 4-15), the allowance is conditional on enrolment and satisfactory attendance during the previous school year. Eligibility requires permanent residence in Greece for the past five years, while third-country citizens must have resided legally and permanently in Greece for the past 12 years. Recognised refugees and beneficiaries with humanitarian status are also eligible, as well as children with a disability rate of 67% or higher, up to the age of 24.
Before the introduction of the child allowance, between 2002 and 2017, families with children in public schools and an annual income of up to 3,000 EUR received a school allowance of 300 EUR per child each year (annually) until the end of compulsory education at age 16, provided the child attended school.
Besides the child allowance, social benefits (means tested) such as the Minimum Guaranteed Income and the Housing Benefit are generally paid by OPEKA if the beneficiaries have children attending primary and secondary education (up lower secondary school), only when the beneficiaries submit a certificate of sufficient school attendance issued by the schools.
5. School meal programmes
School Meals Programme
The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family coordinates and funds the school meals programme for disadvantaged children, while the Organisation of Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity, OPEKA, manages its implementation. Introduced in 2017, the programme provides meals five times a week to students of public primary schools aged 5 to 11, based on menus designed by the scientific director of nutrition at a relevant university. Areas benefiting from the programme (which receive the funding) are selected according to family income, unemployment rates, child poverty, populations at risk of impoverishment or isolation, and other socio-economic indicators.
More specifically this initiative primarily focuses on schools operating in Zones of Educational Priority (ZEP), areas of high social need, and for refugee/migrant children integrated through Reception Structures for Refugee Education (DYEP). The programme ensures students receive a nutritious meal, often lunch, during school hours, aiming to address nutritional deficiencies and improve concentration and attendance. The funding for the provision of school meals is often secured through European Union programmes (such as the ESPA framework) but is managed and implemented locally by the Ministry of Education and local government bodies.
In addition to government funding, the programme is supported by the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, using resources from the NSRF and the European Social Fund.
This profile has been reviewed by Dr. Halkiotis Dimitrios, Adjunct Lecturer, Hellenic Open University; Associate Professor Koutsampelas Christos, University of Peloponnese; and Professor Patrinos Harry, Head of the Department of Education Reform and 21st Century Endowed Chair in Education Policy, University of Arkansas.
