Kerameos Prefecture: Additional 236 million for education in 2022

The increase of the budget by 236 million for the year 2022 was announced by the Minister of Education and Religions Niki Kerameos during the discussion of the state budget in the Parliament.

“This year, despite the pandemic and the international economic uncertainty that inevitably entails, despite the increased teacher retirements, we have managed to meet the additional needs and increase the funds for education, considering it one of the most profitable investments in our country.” The percentage of the increase amounts to 4.2%, from 5,605,100,000 to 5,841,100,000 euros.

Then, Ms. Kerameos listed the following key financial figures for 2022:

– Increase of the State Budget for Education by € 236 million.

– The total of the Public Investment Program amounts to € 950 million.

– The Fund for Recovery and Sustainability secured the financing of 21 emblematic actions, with a total budget of over € 1.2 billion.

– Regarding the NSRF, the absorption of funds increased by 62.6% from June 2019, which corresponds to an increase of almost 317 million euros, in less than 2.5 years.

The Minister analyzed the funding in the individual levels of education and areas of interest, stating, among other things, that:

1. In Primary, Secondary Education and Special Education

School infrastructure, actions such as English in kindergarten, skills workshops, remedial teaching of special courses for the Panhellenic exams, new curricula, upgrading of music education in music schools, training activities are strengthened with financial resources and other financial tools. teachers, the integration of refugee children and Roma children in the education system, school and university sports are subsidized.

2. In Vocational Education, Training, Lifelong Learning

The housing allowance is increased by € 7 million, and now DIEK students are included for the first time, through the Recovery and Durability Fund but also through the NSRF, the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the Supply of Laboratory and Technological Equipment for EPAL are strengthened. EPAL, DIEK, Thematic and Experimental IEK standards, digitization of EOPPEP, digitization of educational material of Vocational Education and Training and creation of a Platform for VET.

3. In Higher Education

The regular subsidies of the Universities are increased, the upgrading of the infrastructure and equipment of the HEIs is financed and a series of actions by the HEIs of the country, including the Academy of Athens and the University Hospitals of YPAITH, with special emphasis on research and extroversion. Just today, a decision was signed for an extraordinary grant for universities with 20 million EUR.

4. Regarding the digital transformation of Education

The digital transformation of processes, infrastructures, such as the Integrated Education Information System and skills, such as the training of teachers in digital skills, is underway.

5. Regarding the utilization of resources from the NSRF

Financing of a number of new projects (at all levels) totaling € 496 million was approved, in addition to the older projects, the duration and funding of which were extended. The inclusion of additional projects increased by € 612 million.

Ms. Kerameos, closing her speech, underlined: “This year’s Education Budget, financially strengthened and structured in the philosophy of optimal performance and transparency in information, aims to make better use of resources and, ultimately, to the same goal that the The Government of New Democracy and the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have set from the beginning: in the overall upgrade of our educational system, in order for our children to gain more and better supplies, to achieve their goals, and to be happy. in our present and our future. ”