Schools to be evaluated under new system

Greece's roughly 14,000 public and private schools will undergo an evaluation of academic performance as part of government plans to streamline their operations and improve results.

The process, which will combine self-evaluation and independent monitoring, is expected to run to end-June and will continue on an annual basis taking into consideration teaching standards, administrative functions, and teacher skills and knowledge development.

Unions vehemently oppose the plan, warning that their members will not comply. Responding to reactions, the head of the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP), which advises the government, stressed that the evaluation is not of a "disciplinary nature."

"We are only asking schools to record their strengths and weaknesses in a bid to improve their operation and the quality of their teaching," said Yiannis Antoniou.