04-07-16  Secondary school Registration of foreign nationals with incomplete documentation

Regarding questions on problems that arise at secondary schools with the registration at Greek schools of students from foreign schools who lack proper documentation, the ministry announces the following:

For the registration of students from foreign schools at secondary schools in Greece, as long as they have documents “indicating or proving studies or some other proof of their student status”, the provisions of article 3 of Presidential Decree 182/1984 (Government Gazette 60A’), which states that students may register at any time during the school year and that their transfer papers must be officially translated, in accord with education ministry encyclical Γ2/7268/02-10-1995, and Γ2/990/05-10-1998.

Moreover, in accordance with article 21, par. 7-8 of law 4251/2014 (Government Gazette 80A’), “Regarding the registration of citizens of minority age from third countries at schools of all levels in Greece, similar documentation to that required of Greek nationals is required. In exceptional circumstances, students with insufficient documentation and who are children of foreign nationals may register at state-run schools as long as:

A.    They are protected by the Greek state as people entitled to international protection, or are under the protection of the UNHCR.

B.    They come from states in a state of emergency or volatile situation

C.    They have submitted an asylum application.

D.    They are citizens of third countries who reside in Greece, even if they lack legal documentation

In cases where documentation is lacking to register students in secondary schools, the school principal after registering the student must:

A.    Inform the guardians of missing documentation and afford time to collect it. The principal will note the guardians’ obligation. When guardians are negligent in displaying the appropriate care or there is a false registration of a student’s information, the school again alerts guardians of these shortcomings, noting that “the father or mother are negligent in their duties as guardians.

B.    The school points out bureaus where appropriate documentation can be sorted out. The school may call upon social service workers to help. Until then, the student is registered with information provided by the guardian in a notarised statement.

       C. When guardians state that finding needed documentation is impossible (eg fear of persecution in country of origin), the competent ministry bureaus (diaspora, inter-cultural education, foreign and minority schools) are informed on all missing documents, in order to best resolve the problem, eg through contact with diplomatic missions, or an order is given for placement exams.