Greece’s Education Ministry has unveiled a comprehensive restructuring of the national public school system for the upcoming 2026–27 academic year, combining strategic school mergers with an aggressive expansion of special education infrastructure.
Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki finalized the sweeping plan through a series of ministerial decisions aimed at redrawing the country's educational map to reflect shifting demographic realities and regional population growth.
The initiative will trigger targeted school closures, consolidations, and upgrades, reallocating state teaching resources to areas experiencing surging student enrollment.
"This plan is shaped with long-term responsibility and the core interests of students in mind," Mrs. Zacharaki said.
She emphasized that the restructuring is vital for a more functional public school system, ensuring that public education aligns directly with local community needs rather than outdated census data.
A central pillar of the overhaul is the reinforcement of specialized learning.
The ministry is establishing new special education structures and upgrading existing facilities to guarantee equal learning opportunities across all districts.
According to Mrs. Zacharaki, the ultimate objective of the network optimization is to ensure that every student, regardless of geographic location, has immediate access to a modern, safe, and high-quality educational environment.
The ministry framed the incoming changes as part of a wider effort to modernize public classroom efficiency while preserving equal educational access amidst shifting domestic population trends.