Public Onassis Schools

The Public Onassis Schools are a cohesive network of model public schools with a social character. The network will gradually include up to twenty-two (22) existing secondary education units, i.e., up to eleven junior high schools and eleven general senior high schools across the country. From the 2025–26 school year, twelve school units, namely six Junior High Schools and six General Senior High Schools, will be operational in six municipalities and four Regional Directorates of Education.

The Public Onassis Schools operate to strengthen, upgrade, and foster the public education system in order to develop the best educational methods, practices, and tools, which in turn will be disseminated in the educational process. In every other respect, the Public Onassis Schools serve, together with all the schools, the purposes of secondary public education and are administratively subordinate to the relevant Director of Education.

The Public Onassis Schools also introduce Groups and Clusters in which attendance is mandatory for students. Students attending other public schools in the vicinity may also enroll in the Groups or Clusters operating in the Public Onassis Schools, provided there are vacancies. Groups and Clusters operate at the sole expense and care of the Onassis Foundation.

As part of the donation, the Onassis Foundation undertakes: i) To cover the costs of the necessary equipment and infrastructure upgrades for the existing school units selected for inclusion in the network. ii) To cover the costs of providing the Public Onassis Schools, teachers, and students with the necessary material resources to support and upgrade the educational work. iii) All relevant costs for the organization and participation of teaching staff in any form of special training programs in Greece or abroad, in addition to those provided or organized by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports or the Institute of Educational Policy or the European Union. iv) The remuneration for additional service of teaching and other staff of the Public Onassis Schools.

The donation contract for the establishment of the Public Onassis Schools was signed on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the Maximos Mansion by the then Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, and the President of the Onassis Foundation, Anthony S. Papadimitriou, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The meeting was attended by other government officials concerned and members of the Onassis Foundation’s Board of Directors.

In September 2025, the following 12 school units will be operational:

• 52nd DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ATHENS [Kolonos, Region of Attica]
• 52nd DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ATHENS [Kolonos, Region of Attica]
• 3rd DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ACHARNES [Menidi, Region of Attica]
• 7th DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ACHARNES [Menidi, Region of Attica]
• 5th DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF PERISTERI [Peristeri, Region of Attica]
• 5th DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF PERISTERI—"ODYSSEAS ELYTIS” [Peristeri, Region of Attica]
• 12th DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF THESSALONIKI [Xirokrini, Region of Central Macedonia]
• 16th DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF THESSALONIKI—“PERICLES STEFANIDIS” [Xirokrini, Region of Central Macedonia]
• 3rd DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF KOZANI [Region of Western Macedonia]
• 3rd DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF KOZANI [Region of Western Macedonia]
• 1st DAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF XANTHI [Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace]
• 2nd DAY GENERAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF XANTHI [Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace]

The Public Onassis Schools serve, together with the other schools, the purposes of secondary education. In addition, their mission is in particular:

(i) implementing

• the principles and guidelines of the 21st-century modern school with an emphasis on humanities, STEM, social sciences, fine arts, digital literacy, and emotional and social intelligence to cultivate well-rounded, democratic citizens
• innovative educational programs using experiential teaching methods and other cutting-edge teaching practices and activities

(ii) providing

• high-quality free public education aimed at the comprehensive, well-rounded, and balanced development and culture of students
• the possibility of digital, remote, and hybrid learning

(iii) promoting

• dialogue, free-thinking, equality, and respect for diversity in all its forms
• scientific research in education and its practical applications through collaboration with other educational and social organizations, in the teaching of individual subjects, in the psycho-pedagogical field, as well as in the organization, administration, evaluation, and management of relations at the level of the school unit
• training students in digital technology and artificial intelligence
• creativity, innovation, and excellence both through the compulsory daily program and the extracurricular courses of the Groups and Clusters

(iv) encouraging multilingualism.

Groups

A Group is an organized set of students formed under the guidance of a teacher of appropriate qualification for the purpose of engaging in specific activities beyond the compulsory curriculum. Groups cover subject areas such as mathematics, STEM, computer science and digital technology, humanities, particularly modern and ancient Greek language and literature, foreign languages and literature, history, rhetoric/oratory, environmental education, as well as other fields such as visual arts, music, theater, and sports.

In the context of their operation, Groups may:

• undertake innovative actions
• carry out remedial teaching
• provide in-depth teaching and preparation for the national (Panhellenic) examinations.

Clusters

A Cluster, especially a music or theater ensemble, is an organized set of students working together under the guidance of a teacher of appropriate qualification to perform an artistic work.

Clusters aim to create or perform one or more artistic works, particularly works of music, theater, performing arts, devised, or others.

The students at the Public Onassis Schools choose the Groups and Clusters in which they wish to participate from among those offered by the school unit they attend, by decision of the Director, after consultation with the competent Educational Work Coordinator.

Participation of the students in the Groups and Clusters is mandatory for at least ten educational hours per week throughout the school year.

By the decision of the school’s Principal and after advisory by the competent Educational Work Coordinator of the Public Onassis School, students attending other public schools in the vicinity may enroll in the Groups or Clusters at the request of their parents/guardians/custodians, provided there are vacancies.

By the decision of the Public Onassis School’s Principal, students who, having applied, do not participate or whose participation is not efficient may be removed.