Primary Education

Elementary schools are called "Dimotiko" (demotic, meaning municipal), a carryover term from a time when such schools were run by local communities. The name remains although it has been obsolete for decades. In the first two years pupils are not officially graded, and parents obtain feedback about their performance via oral communications with teachers. Grading begins in Year 3, and written exams are introduced in Year 5. Graduating from one year to the next is automatic, and pupils with deficient performance are given remedial tutoring. Years are called "classes", from first to sixth:

Year 1 (Πρώτη δημοτικού): age 6 to 7
Year 2 (Δευτέρα δημοτικού): age 7 to 8
Year 3 (Τρίτη δημοτικού): age 8 to 9
Year 4 (Τετάρτη δημοτικού): age 9 to 10
Year 5 (Πέμπτη δημοτικού): age 10 to 11
Year 6 (Έκτη δημοτικού): age 11 to 12

A normal school-day starts at 8.15 and finishes from 13.15 to 15.00 depending on the school. The classes last between 40 and 90 minutes. The school year always starts on September 11 and ends on June 15. The students have summer vacation (about 3 months), Christmas vacation (2 weeks) and Easter vacation (2 weeks). Furthermore, students take usually another four days off in order to celebrate their two national holidays (28/10 and 25/3).

Basic subjects:
Modern Greek Language (7 classes/week)
Mathematics (5 classes/week)
Environmental Studies (2-4 classes/week)
Physical Education (4 classes/week)
Music (1 class/week)
Art (1 class/week)
Theatre (1 class/week)
Flexible Zone (1-2 classes/week)
English (2-4 classes/week)

(The classes a week for a subject may vary from the teacher who teaches)

Additional Subjects:
Physics (3 classes/week and only for years 5 and 6)
Geography (2 classes/week and only for years 5 and 6)
History (2 classes/week and for years 3-6)
Religion (1 class/week and for years 3-6)
Social & Political Studies (1 class/week and only for years 5 and 6)
Second Foreign Language (2 classes/week and only for years 5 and 6)

Grading System:
1st Year: no grades
2nd Year: no grades
3rd Year: A-C
4th Year: A-C
5th Year: 1-10
6th Year: 1-10
Enrollment to the next tier of compulsory education, the Gymnasium, is automatic.