Schools in Crete

This Schools in Crete Page is from the Completely Crete Moving to Crete Section.

Schools in Crete, and your children’s education, maybe at the top of your list of things to research before moving to Crete and living in Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands.

Of the British children we know who have moved here with their parents from the UK, all have integrated extremely well. The younger ones attending local village schools, joining football teams, attending martial arts classes or dance classes, speak Greek fluently and have many Cretan friends.

The older teenagers again mix well with local teenagers and seem to have picked up the language very easily – more so than their parents!

Their schooling and academic achievements however may not be as good as if they had completed their education in their mother tongue. All lessons are taught in Greek in state schools in Crete and cover the basics of Maths, Science, History, Geography etc. Some schools in Crete also give extra Greek lessons to foreign students to help them catch up.

Foreign children who cannot speak fluent Greek can be placed in younger classes and be held back if they cannot keep up with their peers. Some teenagers may find this a little hard to bear.

Smaller children will assimilate more easily than older ones. So if you have children, perhaps older than 10 years of age, you may have to consider supplementing their basic state education with private lessons or home schooling.

School hours begin around 8.00am and finish around 1.30pm. The school holidays are longer here in Crete than in the UK. Three months in the summer, two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter plus numerous Bank Holidays and Name Days off.

Babies and Toddlers in Crete

Private nurseries take babies and toddlers up to the age of five. Even if you do not require childcare for your very young children it might be useful for them to attend a private nursery to mix with local children and pick up the language more easily. The costs are very reasonable compared to UK prices for childcare.

Nursery Schools in Crete

Children who have reached their fourth birthday by the start of the school year (September) are eligible to start state nursery school. They attend nursery school part time (9.00am to 12.00pm) up to the age of six.

Schools in Crete

Primary education last for six years, with entry at six years of age, and is followed by three years of compulsory lower secondary education.

Options for further and higher education are available in Crete.

To register your child in schools in Crete simply go along to your local school with your child’s birth certificate, medical inoculation proof and proof of your residence in Crete.

School of European Education

We personally do not know of any child that has attended the one and only European school on the Island in Heraklion. But we’ve heard it’s very good and well attended by ex-pat children.

For more information you can contact the school by calling 2810 301780.