Education Ministry

Hello, holidays and vacations are arriving with good weather, a bit of chill, and some snow, normal for the season. We hear about upcoming natural disasters almost every other day, but thankfully we don’t see them materializing. On the contrary, roads and shops are jam-packed, and hotel and airline bookings, both domestic and international, are nearly sold out.

The Monday morning Cabinet meeting, just two days before Christmas, may not have thrilled many ministers, but one thing is certain: they won’t leave empty-handed.

Turkish lawmakers granted approval over the weekend to the 2025 budget after weeks of deliberations, enacting legislation that projects expenditures of 14.7 trillion Turkish Liras (nearly $420 billion) and revenues of 12.8 trillion liras for the upcoming year.

The Greek government is now moving towards prohibiting children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.

Greek universities are on the brink of transformation, with the Education Ministry announcing a dramatic increase in the percentage of students admitted via placement exams.

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, universities can accept up to 30% of their students through this route, a significant rise from the current 12%.

The Education Ministry is launching a literary initiative aimed at familiarizing students with classic works and renowned authors. 

Starting in February, artists will visit schools to read from a selection of 21 literary books, including works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne Frank, Anton Chekhov, and George Orwell. 

Türkiye has emerged as one of the top five countries to demonstrate significant improvements in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's (IEA) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023 results.

The Education Ministry has introduced sweeping changes to school dress codes, addressing long-standing complaints from parents about the frequent changes in school uniforms and the requirement to purchase clothing from specific retailers.

The Education Ministry plans to introduce the International Baccalaureate, the two-year diploma program, to five public magnet schools in the next academic year.

It will be the first time the globally accredited program will be offered at Greek public schools. Selected private schools have had it for over two decades.

Amid a severe shortage of teachers, the Education Ministry has called on retired educators to apply for available teaching positions.

In the latest nationwide recruitment effort for 170 positions, only 69 were filled, with certain regional units facing extreme shortages. For example, only three teachers were found for 65 vacancies in West Attica, and just five for 17 in East Attica.