National high school diploma: The ministry of education proposes reduction in exam subjects and curriculum for 12th grade students

The proposal of the Ministry of Education, within the framework of the national dialogue about the national diploma, includes a reduction in the number of exam subjects and the curriculum for the 12th grade. The Minister of Education, Sophia Zacharaki, initiated the “National Dialogue for the National Diploma and the new high school architecture” in the Education Affairs Committee of the Parliament. “The dialogue that begins does not have pre-decided solutions. This process is for listening more and speaking less. It does not have predetermined outcomes, but it does have a clear direction: a high school with substance, a diploma with credibility, and a system that is fairer for students and their families,” she emphasized.

Presenting the framework and key points of the “National Dialogue” to the Education Affairs Committee of the Parliament, which, as clarified, will conclude at the end of November after about 20 sessions, Minister Zacharaki emphasized several times “the need for substantial cooperation and participation from all political parties with proposals and comments.”

“Education is a national issue. The goal is, at the end of this process, to reach a legislative initiative that could ideally be supported by more than one party. This will not be the success of a government, but the success of the country,” said Minister Zacharaki, adding, “The technical details, percentages, and transitional arrangements are not pre-decided choices; they are part of the dialogue itself. Such a major change does not happen overnight, nor is it implemented without testing. There should be no surprises in these matters. Everything must proceed with sincerity, an open mind, and without prejudices.”

As Minister Zacharaki pointed out, “The national dialogue does not begin in a vacuum, nor without direction. It begins with real problems that we all recognize and with principles that have been articulated by many sides of the political system over time.”

Elaborating on the philosophy of the New High School and National Diploma architecture, she emphasized that “High school should not just be a space for preparation for university entrance but should have its own autonomy and equip students with useful skills, whatever path they choose to follow.”

“The goal is to create a fairer and more reliable system,” the Minister said, explaining: “First: Each grade of high school should count, and performance assessment should not be decided in one day. Second: A mixed, reliable assessment system that combines national exams and school performance, not relying on one single exam. Third: Common subjects and a national grading body with institutional guarantees, such as enhancing the Question Bank, creating a grading body, and forming a unified national examination framework. Fourth: Less material, more substantial knowledge. Not more subjects in 12th grade, less material, more substantial knowledge, with room for understanding, application, and synthesis of what students are learning.”

Minister Zacharaki acknowledged that “the national dialogue begins with real problems that everyone recognizes, and with principles that have been articulated by many sides of the political system,” while assuring that “this process is for listening more and speaking less.”

“The technical details, percentages, and transitional arrangements are not pre-decided choices; they are part of the dialogue itself… In these matters, there should be no surprises. Everything must proceed with sincerity, an open mind, and without prejudices. Education is a national issue. The goal is, at the end of this process, to reach a legislative initiative that could ideally be supported by more than one party in a spirit of understanding,” concluded Minister Zacharaki.

Key Directions of the New High School System

In this context, the Minister presented the key directions of the new high school system and the National Diploma, which were set forth for discussion:

• Strengthening the diploma as a substantive knowledge certificate with international recognition.
• Involvement of high school grades in the final grade, with emphasis on the 2nd and 3rd years, and discussion on the weighting of the 1st year.
• Creation of a mixed evaluation system that combines school performance with national exams.
• Reduction of curriculum and exam subjects, especially in the 3rd year of high school.
• Enhancement of the Question Bank, creation of a grading body, and a unified examination framework.