Greece will establish its first Vocational High School (EPAL) within an adult correctional facility, opening a new chapter in its education and rehabilitation policy.
The newly established 8th Vocational High School of Larisa will operate inside the Larisa Correctional Facility following a joint ministerial decision by the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki; the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Athanasios Petralias; and the Deputy Minister for Citizen Protection, Ioannis Lambropoulos.
The initiative aims to provide structured, certified secondary vocational education to incarcerated individuals—most of whom previously lacked access to organized educational pathways beyond middle school. Since 2004, the facility hosted the 2nd Second-Chance School of Larisa, but its graduates could only pursue fragmented distance learning options with no formal instruction or infrastructure.
With the establishment of the new vocational high school, the correctional facility will now have complete educational chain, extending from primary and secondary general education to vocational training.
Minister Zacharaki stated that this reform represents a “decisive step toward strengthening educational equality and social reintegration.” She emphasized, “Education is a fundamental human right and cannot exclude anyone.” The minister described the school as a “social passport” for a new life post-incarceration.
