1. ΕΙΔΙΚΟ ΓΥΜΝΑΣΙΟ-
ΕΙΔΙΚΟ ΕΝΙΑΙΟ ΛΥΚΕΙΟ ΙΛΙΟΥ,
ΑΘΗΝΑ
SPECIAL EDUCATION
HIGH SHOOL (JUNIOR- SENIOR)
IN ILION, ATHENS-GREECE
According to the Greek educational system, children at the age of six
must first go to primary school, which has six classes, and after that they
must go to secondary school, which has two parts; the first part, called
Gymnasium, has 3 grades and the second part, called Lyceum, has 3
classes, too. The attendance of primary school and Gymnasium is
compulsory for all children.
In Gymnasium, subjects of general education are taught. High school
graduates can attend a vocational school, look for a job, or attend the
Lyceum, which leads to university or other colleges of higher education.
Our special education high school, situated in Ilion-Athens, is one of
the few special schools of secondary education for handicapped children
in Greece.
The syllabus has been approved by the Ministry of Education and it is
the same as the syllabus that is taught in all Greek schools. The aims of
the special school are basically the same as those of the other schools of
Greece. The special school doesn’t dispose of its own building, but it is
roofed in one of the buildings of the National Rehabilitation Centre in
Ilion-Athens.
The school is attended by (about) 50 physically handicapped pupils,
who mainly suffer from cerebral paralysis, diseases of the muscular
system or nervous system and diseases of the bones. These diseases cause
a constant handicap in percentages that are shown in the chart below.

2. 1
2
3
4
diseases of the muscular system 1: cerebral paralysis 3 :
girls boys
2: 4:
boys girls
Almost half of the pupils can not attend to their everyday needs by
themselves, or they need help during the lessons. In particular, they must
be taken to classrooms and laboratories, they must be given several
objects or need help in order to approach or leave the work table and so
on.
The school is fully equipped with a perfectly organized library, a gym
constructed and designed according to the needs of the children, physics
and chemistry laboratory and a computer science laboratory. Each subject
is taught in its own classroom and with the suitable means of instruction.
Apart from the teachers for all subjects, in this school there also work
several specialists, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists,
speech therapists and a manager of health. Each one of these people
works in his or her room. In this school, also, work a social worker and a
psychologist. The medical treatment of the children is carried out by the
doctors of the National Rehabilitation Centre.
However there are also mentally handicapped children, who can not
learn the material of instruction that has been prescribed by the Ministry
of Education. These students attend a special course for creative and
educational occupation. The aim of this course is to enable the children to
develop skills, get to know their environment, become aware of their
existence in this environment and finally integrate.
Besides, in this school, there is a room that has been redesigned and
used as a small unprofitable shop. In this shop, children suffering from a
social or mental disability, or poor learners, work under a teacher’s
supervision. The aim of this shop is to enable children to be trained in
real working conditions, handle money and finally interact.
The special education high school has taken part in Greek projects and
in the projects of the European Union for better training and rehabilitation
of children and it continues these activities incessantly.

3. Every school year the whole school goes on a five-day educational
and entertaining trip to several places in Greece.
The school graduates get a certificate needed for entry to tertiary
education. They can enter university or college. Many of our former
school-children study now successfully at university or college, or have
already completed their studies. They have the necessary requisite know-
how, which they have acquired in our school, in order to be able to apply
for a job suitable to their qualifications and their handicap.