“Europe 2020” – Practical Implications for the Greek Education and Training System: A Qualitative Study

In light of current and future challenges in the European Union (EU), there have been prescribed specific priorities for Education and Training Systems (ETS), to be attained by a set of European tools through flexible and quality assurance schemes. The purpose of the present study was to identify priorities for the Greek ETS, in line with a European convergence education policy in the context of “Europe 2020” strategy. A qualitative study was conducted with a sample of senior executives in Northern Greece, with the aim to explore their views on the practical implications of EU priorities for the Greek ETS. Data of the semi- structured interviews underwent a three-level qualitative analysis, identifying reform priorities for education and training in Greece. Moreover, findings highlighted that existing structures in the Greek context hamper implementation of substantial structural reforms. Practical implications of the study pertain to the distance need to be covered so as to harmonise with European mandates. However, only subjective suggestions of the interviewees were recorded, calling for further research in order to enable development of a comprehensive reform framework.