Greece will launch 22 “Onassis Public Schools” starting in the next academic year, through a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Education and the Onassis Foundation aiming to transform public education in socially and economically disadvantaged areas across the country.
The bill was approved in Parliament earlier this week by a large majority. SYRIZA, The Communist Party (KKE) and the New Left opposed the bill.
The initiative will impact over 6,000 students in 22 secondary schools, providing them with what officials describe as “the public school of the future.”
“The Onassis Public Schools will provide additional support to a public education system that has its challenges,” PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said recently. “Our goal is not only to offer opportunities to gifted children but also to draw lessons for the future.”
Onassis initiative aims to address demand for model schools in Greece
The program responds to surging demand for high-quality public education in Greece, where applications for places at experimental and model schools have far exceeded available spaces. In 2024, more than 20,300 applications were submitted for just 4,800 spots.
The new schools aim to meet this demand by offering an innovative curriculum and cutting-edge facilities. Located in vulnerable areas, including ten schools in Attica and twelve in Thessaloniki and other regions, the schools are designed to address the educational needs of communities facing economic and social challenges.
“At the Onassis Foundation, we believe the best way to honor the past is to act in the present and contribute to the future,” said Anthony S. Papadimitriou, president of the Onassis Foundation. “We are not replacing the state but are present as supporters, fulfilling the duty that falls upon us.”
Structure and management
The Onassis Public Schools will remain public institutions, with teachers continuing as civil servants paid by the state. Admission will be based on merit, through a knowledge and skills test conducted before students enter junior and senior high school.
The schools will operate under a framework modeled after the successful Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, which has been a cornerstone of Greece’s public health sector since 1993. The program will include renovation of school buildings and ongoing operational support funded by the Onassis Foundation.
In addition to providing resources and equipment, the foundation will cover the costs of extracurricular programs focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the humanities, arts and digital technologies. Teacher training and annual operational expenses beyond the core curriculum will also be supported by the foundation.
The Ministry of Education will retain overall governance, with oversight provided by an independent nine-member management committee to ensure high standards and efficient operation.
The first six Onassis Public Schools—three junior high schools and three senior high schools—are scheduled to open in the 2025-26 academic year, with plans to expand the network to 12 or more schools in subsequent years.
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