The pilot implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in five Standard High Schools will begin in September 2026, with the aim of expanding in the coming years
Yesterday, the Minister of Education, Religion and Sports, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, visited the headquarters of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) in Geneva, in order to discuss with the Director General, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, and his staff organization the prospect of introducing IB into public education.
In a telephone conversation of APE-MBE with Mr. Pierrakakis, said in this regard: “With the introduction of the International Baccalaureate, the Ministry of Education gives one more possibility – one more choice to the candidates for admission to higher education, without removing the possibility of admission to a department of higher education through the classic system of nationwide exams. We are delivering on the commitment we made a year ago – to maximize educational opportunities in our country and to accelerate to the maximum the changes that will result in the best possible education being provided to our young people.”
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As the minister pointed out, “the introduction of the IB can only be a positive sign, while the trust of the International Organization for the introduction of the Program in our schools is another confirmation that we are on the right path and in this direction we will continue”.
It is worth noting that the possibility of obtaining an IB in Greece is provided until now exclusively by private educational institutions.
According to sources close to the leadership of the Ministry of Education, the pilot application of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in five Standard High Schools (Athens and Thessaloniki) will begin in September 2026, with the aim of expanding in the coming years to all Standard High Schools in Greece .
According to the same sources, “IB is not simple, on the contrary, it is a different and demanding – according to many – curriculum, with a different approach to education compared to what we are used to in our country”.
“It is a program that prioritizes critical and combinatorial thinking, while cultivating creative writing, research and analytical skills, and teaching is exclusively in English,” they said.
At the same time, according to the same sources, the introduction of the IB in Greek public education is “undoubtedly a new step in another direction and seems to be included in the overall planning of the Ministry of Education, in the context of internationalization and extroversion beyond the narrow borders of the country” .
Today the IB is available in around 150 countries around the world and is recognized by the best universities around the world. In Greece, until today, it is available from 16 private schools.
According to what is expected to apply, IB holders will get the admission ticket to a university abroad or to non-state universities in Greece, while those who choose the admission system through nationwide exams will have the possibility of admission to public universities or non-state universities universities in Greece.
Source: Skai
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