Country information for Greece - Assessment within inclusive education systems

According to Law 4547/2018, supporting school units to ensure equal access to education for all learners without exception and the protection of their harmonious and balanced psychosocial development are part of the KESY competences. In this context, at local level (Directorates of Education), assessment of all learners’ needs, including those with disabilities, is conducted by the multidisciplinary team of KESY when needed. The team works closely with the learner and their family. At school level, assessment of all learners’ needs, including those with disabilities, is conducted by EDEAY. 

Centres for Education and Counselling Support (KESYs) (Law 4547/2018, Articles 6, 7, 8, 9) are established at the Regional Directorates of Education of the entire country and support the school units of their area of competence.

They are responsible for exploring and evaluating the educational and psycho-social needs, obstacles to learning and barriers to equal access to education faced by all learners in the school community. This includes learners with disabilities and/or special educational needs (SEN) and learners from vulnerable social groups. Within this field, KESYs assess and identify (pre-school and school age) learners’ educational and other difficulties and issue relevant assessment reports.

The assessment reports describe the specific educational and psycho-social needs of each learner, as well as their aptitudes and interests. The reports propose the appropriate school setting. They also identify any possible reasonable accommodations and specific support that may be required for each individual learner. These may include: 

• assistive compensatory aids;
• specific learning materials in alternative/accessible formats;
• modes and means of communication and communication aids;
• assistive and information technology.

Support can also consist of a qualified special needs teacher on a one-to-one basis or in an inclusive class. Assessment reports also address learners’ transitions from special to mainstream settings and between levels of education.

Assessment reports are accompanied by the basic axes of individualised educational plans. Learners with disabilities and their parents are involved in drafting their own individualised educational plans, along with the interdisciplinary team from the Centre for Educational and Counselling Support (KESY). In this sense, learners co-design the educational plan that fits them best, together with their parents and experts. The basic axes of the individualised plans are further analysed through short- and long-term goals at school level by the Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committee (EDEAY) or the school’s educational support team. The members of the educational support team, together with the class teachers, are responsible for the effective implementation of the goals of the individualised educational plan. 

If parents do not agree with the assessment report, they have the right to appeal to an Appeal Assessor Committee of Interdisciplinary Assessment (DEDA). During this process, parents can select an expert to take part and express their opinions in the assessment procedure.

Centres for Educational and Counselling Support carry out individual evaluations and issue evaluative reports: 

• for learners with indications of SEN or other psycho-social difficulties after the process of detecting relevant needs. Learners attend a short-term intervention programme within the school. After that, if necessary, they are further evaluated by the KESY;
• at the proposal of the school’s  Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committee(EDEAY), when it is decided that learners need further evaluation despite being supported within the school by a short-term intervention programme. The same process applies at the proposal of the Educational Support Teams in schools where no EDEAY operates;
• at the request to the KESY of a learner’s parent or guardian. In this case, KESYs co-operate with the school and can ask the opinion of the school’s EDEAY or Educational Support Team, if necessary.

In all cases, evaluations are carried out only with the consent of the parents or legal guardians. 

KESYs are the responsibility of the Regional Centres for Educational Planning (PEKES). They co-operate with the regional structures of administration and support for primary and secondary education, as well as the EDEAYs where they operate.

Interdisciplinary Educational Evaluation and Support Committees (EDEAYs) (formerly Diagnostic Educational Evaluation and Support Committees) (Law 4547/2018, Articles 10, 11) operate in each school unit belonging to a School Networks of Educational Support (SDEY). They are a competent body for the educational evaluation and support of learners and the overall support of the school community. EDEAY is constituted by the official decision of the respective Director of Primary or Secondary Education, upon the proposal of the head teacher of the special school unit which is the Support Centre of each SDEY.

EDEAYs are responsible, among other things, for evaluating the difficulties and the educational, psycho-social and other obstacles to learning faced by learners. If learners keep having difficulties despite being supported within the school and attending a short-term intervention programme, EDEAYs refer them to the KESY.

Pupils can also be evaluated by the Community Mental Health Centres for Children and Adolescents of the Ministry of Health (Law 4547/2018, article 51 that amends Law 3699/2008, articles 4 and 5). They are certified every school year by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

Last updated 07/02/2020