School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
Schools at the primary and secondary education level are administered by the headteacher or principal, the deputy principal, and the teachers’ board, as defined by law and ministerial decision. The school principal has administrative and pedagogical responsibility as the ‘top’ of the school community, cooperating with School Advisers, management executives, teachers, students and parents for the joint achievement of educational goals. The deputy principal replaces the principal and helps them in their daily work by assuming some of the school principal’s responsibilities so that the principal can deal with the school’s educational work without distractions. School principals and deputies are considered part of the education staff as ‘education officers’.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002 (as amended in 2021) lists the general teaching, administrative, scientific and pedagogical duties and responsibilities of school principals (Article 27), as well as their duties and responsibilities in relation to the teachers' board (Article 29), school board (Article 30), students (Article 31), and other educational actors (Article 32).
The 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions (as amended in 2024) similarly outlines several responsibilities of principals (Article 11), while the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions (as amended in 2024) aims to strengthen the role of the school principals and teachers in positions of responsibility, outlining several additional roles for principals.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: One of the duties of school principals is to direct the school community to set high goals and ensure the conditions for their achievement.
Developing teaching and learning: The principal is responsible for supervising teachers and coordinating their work (as the head of teachers), encouraging teacher initiatives, inspiring teachers, and providing teachers with specific instructions on their duties in accordance with applicable regulations, as defined in the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002. According to the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions, school principals are additionally expected to take every measure to contribute to the better functioning of the school and hold pedagogical meetings once per month on the education and progress of students, organization of teaching, and evaluation of teaching programs, with the aim to exchange information, record problems, and make collective decisions. The formal right to observe teaching and provide informal feedback is the responsibility of the regional and local administrations, and not explicitly defined for school principals.
Promoting collaboration: School principals have various responsibilities in relation to promoting collaboration. According to the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002, they must collaborate with school advisers, teachers, students and parents to jointly achieve education goals; collaborate with the directorate of education and school advisers to address school problems; develop a positive climate of cooperation among members of the school community; collaborate with teachers to inform parents on school matters; enhance the unity of the school teachers’ board; inform teaching staff, parents and students on the school’s education policy, objectives and work; and invite parents and guardians to the school so they can be provided with relevant information. The school principal is additionally expected to collaborate with appropriate organizations that support the school’s participation in cultural, athletic, social, or educational programs, as described in the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions.
Supporting staff development: According to the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002, school principals have a duty to guide and support teachers in their work (especially new teachers); set an example for teachers; ensure the school provides professional development opportunities for teachers in administrative, pedagogical and scientific matters; and organize and provide in-service training seminars for the teaching staff. The school principals must ensure that professional development programs are provided at the school for at least 15 hours each academic year (outside of teaching hours), deciding on the areas to be covered based on school needs and providing certification to teachers who take part in the programs, as described in the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: The 2022 Civil Service Code of Ethical and Professional Behavior does not apply to school educators. According to the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002, the school principals must work equally with all educators and in a spirit of solidarity.
Others: Several additional duties and responsibilities of school principals are outlined in the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions, 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions, and Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002. The school principal is responsible for representing the school in all its relations with third parties; coordinating school life; ensuring the school’s smooth operation; implementing laws, presidential decrees, regulatory decisions, circulars and official mandates; setting up committees for examinations; collecting supporting documents and issuing results for the school’s operation; promoting, in cooperation with the school teachers' board, the director of primary or secondary education and the school advisers; and supporting the operation of additional teaching support, remedial teaching, reception classes, tutorial classes, all-day schools and other educational innovations. The school principal additionally has the duty to provide teaching materials, allocate students and teachers to classes, and ensure the health and safety of students. In secondary education, the principal is further responsible for updating and keeping files on teachers’ employment status and collecting and sending data on staff salary payments to the directorate of education.
School principals must additionally abide by the compulsory weekly teaching schedule, as set out in the 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions For primary school principals , this includes from 6 to 18 teaching hours depending on the school size. The teaching schedule of school principals at the secondary level is 10 hours for schools with 3-5 classes, 9 hours for schools with 6-9 classes, 7 hours for schools with 10-12 classes, and 5 hours for schools with over 12 classes.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
The 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions (as amended in 2024) outlines the academic qualifications and experience required for school principals at the primary or secondary education levels. All education officers (including school principals) must have 8 years of experience in the teaching service; and certified knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT) ( A' level). Primary or secondary school principals in particular must have at least 12 years of experience in the educational service in primary or secondary education, depending on the level they are applying to (Article 31). If a school principal position for a specific education level is claimed, out of the 8 years of compulsory teaching service, at least 4 must have been served at the relevant level of education.
The minimum academic qualification for school principals of all education levels is a bachelor's degree, with the possession of a relevant master's or PhD degree awarding extra points and resulting in a higher salary grade. While leadership/administrative experience is not a requirement to apply for the position of a principal, teachers are awarded relevant points in the selection process. Additional criteria used for ranking purposes include language certifications, master's and/or doctoral studies, second diplomas, specialized seminars, and ICT certifications.
Permanent teachers of all specializations serving in primary education can be candidates for the post of primary principal, while teachers of secondary education specializations can be candidates for the post of secondary school principal at lower secondary schools (gymnasia), upper secondary schools (lykeia), and vocational upper secondary schools (EPAL).
In special education schools, apart from teachers, candidates for school principal positions can also be members of the special educational staff (EEP), as long as they have at least 12 years of educational service and 8 years of support service, of which at least 4 years must have been served in a similar type of special education school. In schools for the deaf, hard of hearing and blind students, candidates must either be teachers or members of the special education staff with certified knowledge of the Greek Sign Language (ENG) or the Greek Braille Script (E.G.B.), respectively; or teachers who meet all the above requirements and occupy a permanent post in a school for deaf, hard of hearing or blind students for at least 4 years.
In intercultural schools, candidates for the post of school principal must be teachers with a foreign language certificate, preferably of the country of origin of the majority of students (at least B2 level). In experimental and model schools, teachers must have the qualifications required for the post of school principals in other schools of the respective level, with at least 1 year of experience as a permanent staff member in an experimental or model school.
In second chance schools, candidates for selection for secondment to the position of school head/principal are permanent teachers serving in public schools of Primary and Secondary Education, with a bachelor's degree, having at least eight years of educational service, significant administrative qualifications, as well as knowledge and experience in adult education (art. 70 par.1 Law 4763/2020).
Appointment decision
The Ministerial Decision Φ.361.22/6/149788/Ε3/2022 on the Process of Selection and Deployment of Principals of Schools and Laboratory Centres (as amended in 2023) and 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions (as amended in 2024) regulate the selection and appointment process for school principals of primary and secondary education schools.
The selection of public education officers (including school principals in public primary and secondary schools) is based on a standardised competitive process set at the central level through open calls for applications published on the website of the regional directorate of education and certain ranking lists regulated by law. Candidates having the essential qualification requirements are invited to submit an application accompanied by the required supporting documents within a specified time period. Qualified candidates who meet the essential qualification requirements specified by law are then placed on a ranking list based on the total number of points collected in several criteria: scientific and pedagogical training; teaching, counselling-mentoring and administrative-supporting experience; evaluation; and personality and general conduct. 50% of candidates on the list are then called for an interview based on specific criteria defined by law. Applicants are then placed in vacant posts according to their ranking in the final list and their preferences for the vacancies announced.
A local selection board is responsible for drawing up selection lists and the selection of school principals and deputies in their respective regions, established by the regional director of education in each directorate of primary and secondary education (law 4823/2021). The board consists of the director of education as chairman; the education quality supervisor as vice-chairman; one primary or secondary education adviser; and two teachers based on specific criteria. Any teacher who has a permanent position in the same district/region and a minimum of 15 years of teaching experience may be chosen as a member of the committee that selects the school principals for the specific district/region. The final decision on appointment is made by the regional director of education, following a proposal made by the local selection board.
Employment equity measures
The 4609/2019 Law on Substantive Gender Equality, Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence constitutes a legal obligation to promote gender mainstreaming, although it does not contain provisions for enforcement or sanctions. One of the priority areas of the 2021-25 National Action Plan for Gender Equality is the equal participation of women in decision-making positions/leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Specific objectives under this goal include increasing the number of women in positions of responsibility, implementing quotas for women in collective management bodies, strengthening education and training of girls aiming at them assuming leadership roles, and monitoring the participation of women in positions of responsibility.
Working conditions
School principals serve a 4-year term of office (extended from a 3-year term in 2022), that begins upon their placement and ends on the 31st of July of the fourth year following their selection, as set out by the Ministerial Decision Φ.361.22/6/149788/Ε3/2022 on the Process of Selection and Deployment of Principals of Schools and Laboratory Centres (as amended in 2023) and Article 42 of the 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions (as amended in 2024). The criteria for their selection follow the selection and appointment process described above (see ‘Appointment decision’) based on their qualifications, interviews, and final ranking on selection lists. If they are not re-selected for another term, they return to their permanent position in the education service. If this position is no longer available, they are placed in vacant school posts of their preference in their region, by the decision of the regional director of education. School principals may be discharged from exercising their duties only by decision of the director of education and upon the consent of the service council, for serious personal, family or health reasons (upon request) or on serious grounds due to inadequate exercise of their official duties after being called to be heard before the council. They are civil servants, similar to teachers.
School principals receive a teacher’s salary (law 4354/2015), with an additional monthly allowance for positions of responsibility (management allowance), as defined in law 4823/2021. Their statutory salary/allowance is set at the national level according to the law that corresponds to the type of school, education level, or size of the school they manage. Where the statutory salary includes a management allowance, either the salary or the allowance (or both) may increase with the size of the school. Recognised additional years of service result in a higher salary grade. Similar to teachers, school principals may also receive additional allowances depending on their circumstances (e.g. number of dependent children, allowances for working in remote areas). For instance, they may receive a monthly allowance of €100 (gross) for serving in a remote or borderline region. The family allowance received by all civil servants (including school principals) is €50 gross per month for one dependent child, €70 for two dependent children, €120 for three, €170 for four, and €70 for each child above four. Civil servants (including school principals and teachers) do not receive a 13th month or a holiday allowance. As of August 2021, the school principal allowance, which is part of the indicated statutory salaries for school principals, has been increased by 10% in conformity with circular 90497/Ε1/23-7-2021 (Gazette 39/T./ΑSEP/23-7-2021 and Gazette 41/ASEP/29- 07-21). As of 2024, the allowance for school principals at the upper secondary level is 429 EUR, and if they have at least 120 students, 501 EUR. At lower secondary level, the allowance is 358 EUR, and if they have at least 120 students, 429 EUR.
Compulsory working time cannot exceed 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week for teachers with or without administrative responsibilities such as school principals and deputy principals (law 4115/2013).
The Primary School Principal Union, formally established in the 1796/2011 statute as the Panhellenic Scientific Union of Primary School Principals, is a formally established union representing the interests of primary school principals. Its objectives include collaboration and association between members, improvement of working conditions of members, exchange of ideas with other organizations involved in education management, continuous training of members, and promotion of research around education administration in Greece.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Teachers who wish to be appointed to educational administration posts (including the post of school principals) must be certified in ICT before their appointment, as stipulated in the 4823/2021 law. Prior training during their teaching service is also taken into account for their ranking in the selection lists.
Induction and in-service training
The 4823/2021 law provides for the preparation and in-service training of education officers, including school principals, in collaboration with the Institute of Educational Policy. To prepare education officers (including school principals) who are selected and placed in positions of responsibility, the law provides for a training program that covers topics in leadership, organization and administration of the education system; human resource management; quality improvement in education; assessment; and national and international education policy, depending on their duties and responsibilities. The training program is implemented by the Institute of Educational Policy (Article 48). All educators (including school principals) are required to undergo induction programs upon their placement and professional development every 4-6 years, as described in the 1566/1985 law on the structure and operation of primary and secondary education and other provisions.
The Training Institute (INEP) of the National Center for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) organizes certified training programs which are co-financed by the European Union as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Strategy “Greece 2.0” aimed at public administration authorities, including school principals. One of the programs organized for the training period September – December 2023 and the training period January – July 2024 aimed to specifically develop the skills of school principals and deputy principals at the primary and secondary levels. The objective of this training program is for school principals and deputies to develop knowledge and skills that will enable them to carry out their administrative duties in schools in an effective manner. The duration of the training was 14 hours and covered rights and obligations of teachers, public service rules and regulations, development and management of human resources in education, planning and management in education, communication and conflict-management, inclusive school community, and assessment of knowledge and skills. To receive a certificate of completion, participants must have attended the program in full and completed the prescribed knowledge and skills assessment process.
In 2024, the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports additionally aimed to train school principals on its strategy for combatting school violence. The duration of the training was 14 hours of distance learning, which included two 7-hour meetings. Topics covered included the design, organization and implementation of school action plans; managing incident protocols; assessment of school and/or community needs; communication with family and community members and their participation in school actions; and support and supervision of school action plans.
The Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002 (as amended in 2021) additionally states that school principals should participate in the in-service training seminars organized for teachers.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
For schools within the district of a specific municipality, there are established municipal education committees (with representatives from the municipality, the parents' association, school principals, productive groups, and teacher unions) and school committees (with representatives from school principals, parent associations, and students at the secondary level). These units support the administrative management of schools.
At the school level, the 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions provides for the establishment of a school board in every primary and secondary state school (Article 51). The school board consists of 7 members, including the principal, 2 representatives from the municipality, 3 teacher representatives, and 1 parent representative. At the secondary education level, there is also a student representative, without voting rights. The school board is chaired by the school principaland supports the operation of the school, while in contact with the local community. It meets 3 times a year, and exceptionally, at the request of the school principalor the participating bodies.
The school teachers' board also operates in every state school at the primary and secondary level as a collective body chaired by the school principalcomposed of the teachers working for the school, regardless of their employment status. It is responsible for establishing guidelines for the optimum operation of the school, implementing the curriculum and daily timetable, supervising students, and keeping school areas clean. Any decisions issued by the teachers’ board must comply with the education legislation and provisions in the 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions (Article 11).
3.2. Middle leaders
The 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions outlines the responsibilities of teachers in positions of responsibility that enhance the school principal’s role. These include the class coordinator, academic area coordinator, and intra-school coordinator. These middle leaders support the school principal’s work by coordinating teachers, organizing teaching materials and sample lessons, exchanging good professional practices, introducing innovative teaching tools, and planning student assessment procedures. The teacher also must participate in the school teachers’ board, which has a wide range of school administration responsibilities (see ‘school management committees and boards’).
3.3. Parents
Parents’ associations are established in every public primary and secondary school in accordance to the 1566/1985 law on the structure and operation of primary and secondary education and other provisions (Article 53) and ministerial decision H/9876 of 1985. Parent associations represent parents and guardians of students at the school and support more efficient operation of the school.
3.4. Students
The 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisions includes a provision on essential student participation in school life (Article 45), which provides for the establishment of student councils for students at the secondary education level. The student council allows students to participate in the organization of school events, with their establishment, election, and role regulated by law. The school principal collaborates with student councils on the organization of school life, in accordance with the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
Schooling decisions in the Greek education system are largely taken at the central level, with school principals traditionally having a more administrative managerial role. The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports has the responsibility for the entire education system from pre-primary to adult education, with only higher education institutions having greater autonomy. School leader autonomy remains limited, with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports making major decisions, including determination of the curriculum, and courses, allocation of teaching time, distribution of textbooks, hiring and firing of staff, and formation of the school budget (Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1/324/105657/D1/16-10-2002; Law 4547/2018).
Permanent teacher appointments in public schools occur via a centralised points system determined by academic credentials, years of service and social criteria. The regional service councils are responsible for teachers’ advancement, promotion, and dismissal; while salary grids, retirement rights, and statutory leaves are governed by the legal framework that applies to all public servants. The dismissal process of permanent teachers is governed by several laws and can only occur on specific grounds. The school principal is responsible for informing the directorate of education or head of office of teacher shortages promptly, as set out in the Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
In 2018, a legal framework for mandatory school self-evaluation and school principal appraisal was approved as part of changes to school self-evaluation. The 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions regulates the appraisal of all education officers, including school principals. School principals and their deputies are evaluated once every 3 years on their teaching practice and subject knowledge by a school adviser with scientific responsibility, and on classroom management and climate by a school adviser with pedagogical responsibility (Article 66). Areas of evaluation include the learning climate developed in the classroom; developing of a spirit of mutual trust and respect between the principal and students; managing discipline and conflict; promoting opportunities for constructive dialogue; the active participation of students in the learning process; acceptance of diversity; and the students’ relationship with their teachers, classmates and other members of the school community. School advisers are appointed by the supervisor of quality education of the relevant directorate of primary or secondary education.
If the school principal’s work is deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ during their evaluation, they will be required to take a mandatory training program developed by the Institute of Educational Policy, as set out by law. In 2024, the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Affairs stated that school principals who refuse to take part in the evaluation process will be replaced.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
Teacher evaluation started in the school year 2022/23 for the first time across the country in a systematic manner, in accordance with legal provisions that came into force in 2021, following the evaluation of school units. The 4823/2021 Law on School Upgrading, Empowering Teachers and Other Provisions governs the evaluation of all education staff, including teachers, as a mandatory process, with the aim to improve the effectiveness of the education system, increase teachers’ job satisfaction, enhance their professional development, and better link evaluation results with educational outcomes.
According to the 1566/1985 Law on the Structure and Operation of Primary and Secondary Education and Other Provisionsand Ministerial Decision Φ.353.1./324/105657/Δ1/2002 (as amended in 2021), the school principal is responsible for evaluating teachers and drawing up evaluation reports based on the evaluation objectives outlined in the law. The school principal is additionally responsible for preparing a report on teachers’ performance during the probationary period. At the school level, school advisers are also tasked with the evaluation of teachers.
This profile was reviewed by Eirini Gyftaki of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports (International Affairs Unit), Greece.
