Greek Education
For most of Greek history, education was private, except in Sparta. The prime objective of education in the Greek city-states was to train the child for fully developed activities as a responsible & patriotic citizen. Because of the diverse nature of the city-states the education Greeks considered appropriate also varied greatly.

The ancient Greeks were broadly divided into three main camps i.e. Sparta, Athens and the other ancient Greek city-states. Each camp had had different purposes and goals for educating their people.

The history witnesses that Sparta was an authoritarian, military city-state. Spartans believed in a life of frugality, discipline and simplicity. Thus the major purpose of educating people was to produce well-drilled and well-disciplined soldier citizens.

In contrast, Athens used to be a democratic city-state. The aim of education in Athens was to teach citizens the arts of both peace and war.
Education during Hellenistic Period
During the Hellenistic period, some city-states founded public schools. Only rich families could meet the expense of a teacher. The education system of the wealthy ancient Greeks was called Paideia. Boys were taught reading, writing and quoting literature. They were also taught singing and playing one musical instrument and were trained as athletes for military services. Girls also learned how to read, write and simple arithmetic so that they could manage the household.

Boys went to school when they turned seven. There were three modes of teachin:
• Grammatistes for arithmetic
• Kitharistes for music and dancing
• Paedotribae for sports.

Classes were conducted in teachers’ private houses and included mathematics, reading, writing, playing of the flute and lyre and singing. When the boy turned 12, the schooling began to include sports as running, wrestling, and throwing javelin and discus. In Athens, culture, music, arts and sciences were looked upon finer disciplines and boys had to make an effort to their academies if they were into any of them. The schooling ended at the age of 18, followed by military training that lasted for one or two years.

Modern Greek Education
The Greek educational system has undergone various transitions and significant changes during the 1990s. There are private and public primary educational system-dimotika, secondary education-gymnasia and high school-lykeia. However, some of them are for foreigners, usually children of British or American families.

In recent years, the foremost topic of debate has been Private universities that are banned by the 1975 constitution. Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy), the Greek conservative right political party, claimed in the 2004 elections that it will change the law so that private universities will be recognized. Indeed it was a move opposed by the then-ruling PASOK. Without official recognition, students holding an EES degree (American/Britain-owned universities in Greece) are not eligible to work in the public sector. PASOK did made some effort after EU intervention, such as the formation of a special government agency which certifies only vocational status of certain EES degree holders. However, a new constitutional amendment is expected to end this debate by allowing the function of non-profit private universities.

In recent years, due to a shift and increase in the economy of Greece, students are less willing to study for an over inflated Legal or Medical occupation. Instead, popular choices are now Information Technology, Computer science, Business, and Electrical Engineering. Greek Universities have yet to meet the ever-growing demands of enrolling able and most willing students to their rosters. As a result, a shortage in officially recognized Universities, leads students to often look outside of Greece for a higher education.

Greece does not accept three-year university degrees. Lawyers and Doctors that come into Greece from degrees from abroad, must go through an additional 6-9 months of qualification testing before they are permitted to practice in Greece.