Greece: Recruitment opens for model and experimental schools for 2026/2027 academic year

In Greece, from Thursday, March 12, 2026, parents and guardians can submit applications for students to model schools, experimental schools, and public Onassis schools for the 2026-2027 academic year. The recruitment process will last until March 26 at 1:00 PM and is conducted exclusively electronically via the gov.gr platform. Logging into the system requires TAXISnet codes, which are used for user identity authorization. The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, which oversees the entire process, is headed by Sofia Zacharaki, who has held this position since March 2025. The Greek education system is highly centralized and managed directly by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports at all levels of education. In June 2023, this ministry was reorganized by merging educational competencies with the sports department, which previously fell under the Ministry of Culture. Model and experimental schools constitute the elite part of the public system, introducing innovative teaching methods and rigorous admission criteria, which has generated high interest among candidates for years.

Recruitment rules allow candidates to apply for a place in a limited number of different types of institutions simultaneously. A student can submit an application to a maximum of two model schools, one Onassis school, one church school, and one experimental school. In a situation where parents choose more than one type of institution from among model, church, or Onassis schools, they are obliged to precisely specify the order of preference in the application system. The further schedule envisages that entrance exams, in the form of an aptitude test for model schools, will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Meanwhile, the lottery for places in experimental schools is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2026. Recruitment schedule for schools 2026: March 12 — Application period opens; March 26 — Application period closes; April 25 — Entrance exams; April 26 — Lottery for places

Statistical data for 2026 indicates sustained, record-breaking interest in these institutions, translating into a low statistical chance of success for a candidate. In the current recruitment cycle, 9,056 people are applying for 1,775 available places in 42 model schools, meaning only one in five applicants will secure a spot. Similar pressure applies to 12 public Onassis schools, where 3,274 applications have been submitted for 1,166 vacant places. 2026 Recruitment Statistics: Applications (model): 9056, Places (model): 1775, Applications (Onassis): 3274, Places (Onassis): 1166

The current Minister of Education Sofia Zacharaki continues reforms initiated by her predecessor, Kyriakos Pierrakakis. Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who has served as Minister of National Economy and Finance and Chairman of the Eurogroup since December 2025, had previously announced extensive digitization and the introduction of new courses in secondary schools. As part of these changes, starting in 2025, a subject covering basic economic concepts is being introduced in the first grade of high school, aimed at combating financial illiteracy. „The decision aims to combat economic illiteracy” — Kyriakos Pierrakakis via Facebook The government also assumes that from the 2025-2026 academic year, the first private educational institutions with university status will be able to begin operating in Greece.