School bullying: New Ministry of Education bill in Greek Parliament

After about two weeks of being posted on opengov for public consultation, the bill to prevent and address school violence and bullying was tabled in Parliament.

It is recalled that the “We Live Harmoniously Together, We Break the Silence!” program, provided for in the bill, is part of the ministry’s general framework for preventing and dealing with school bullying and violence, which includes measures such as the doubling of psychologists and social workers, the strengthening of supporting bodies, the training of teachers, the introduction of relevant topics in the Skills Workshops (sexual education, respect for diversity, etc.) and the enrichment of the New Study Programs, etc.

As noted by the Ministry, the new bill “complements the above actions, while at the same time it is a multi-level, organized and specialized response of the Ministry of Education and Culture to phenomena of intra-school violence and bullying”.

The program

The program is addressed to the entire educational community: education officials, teachers, students and parents and provides, among other things:

1. New structures to deal with school violence, at the central level, at the level of the Directorate of Education and school unit.

2. Systematic teacher trainings.

3. Platform for reporting incidents of intra-school violence, even anonymously by students.

The hospital plan

In addition, regulations were added to the bill, which include the following:

1. New Regulations regarding pedagogical and teaching competence:

* Harmonization of the system of teacher appointments with the new regulations on pedagogical and teaching competence of article 99 of Law 4957/2022.

* Reduction of the minimum number of required credits for the enrollment of students in the special pedagogy and teaching proficiency program from 180 to 120, therefore it is possible for students to enroll in the program earlier during their studies for greater flexibility and according to the relevant request of the university community.

* Implementation of the new framework of pedagogical competence for students who are expected to be admitted from the academic year 2023-2024 and the possibility of granting a certificate of certification of pedagogical and teaching competence from the Departments/Schools according to the previous framework for those students who were admitted up to the academic year 2022 -2023.

2. Release of the fees of Special Education Personnel and Laboratory Teaching Staff from participation in projects/programs financed by private and international resources and abolition of the upper salary limit of the Secretary General for the above fees.

3. Extension of the deadline for the completion of doctoral theses for the application lecturers until 31.12.2024 of the former Technological Educational Institutions who serve in full-time positions at the Universities and the possibility of submitting a request for inclusion in the rank of lecturers and their development.

4. Arrangements for the new academic identity, in which additional functions and advanced technology certificates are expected to be introduced in the framework of simplifying the life of members of the academic community.

5. Extension of the possibility of academic recognition of degrees from the maintained Interdisciplinary Organization for the Recognition of Academic Titles Registers directly by the Universities for the recruitment of Special Educational Staff, Laboratory Teaching Staff, commissioned lecturer, visiting professor, visiting researcher, researcher on contract or researcher in tertiary education institutions of the country, as well as educational, research and scientific personnel in all kinds of projects/programs of the Special Accounts of Research Funds and the participation in qualifying exams for admission to first cycle study programs.

6. Regulation of issues related to the staffing of Standard and Experimental Schools. In particular, the teachers who have the legal qualifications are given the opportunity to submit an application to be placed in a Model or Experimental School of the Regional Directorate of Education which they choose, instead of the Educational Unit to which they belong, and at the same time issues related to covering the operational gaps of these schools with teachers with increased qualifications are regulated.