The Panhellenic School Network in Greece

The Panhellenic School Network is the national online infrastructure for the provision of internet and communication services to the educational community of Greece. The DCF is the official national network and internet service provider for all educational and administrative units under the authority of the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport, including foreign units.

It has been developed to provide high-quality technology services to all schools, teachers and students, connecting the educational community electronically and securely and meeting the needs of the modern educational process through access to digital tools and services that facilitate teaching and learning. It provides a variety of services, such as internet access, web hosting, e-learning platforms, collaboration tools and digital support, thus enhancing the educational process and facilitating communication between teachers, students and parents. At the same time, the information provided through its services is reliable and verifiable, while there is constant updating and upgrading of services based on the needs of users.

Today, the Panhellenic School Network interconnects a total of 16,221 units, of which 14,504 are schools (public and private) of Primary, Secondary and Post-Secondary Education, 151 administrative units of Primary and Secondary Education and 1,013 other structures, such as the General State Archives, Environmental Education Centres and other support structures.

Summary of the services provided by the Panhellenic School Network

1. Internet and Networking Services
   • Connection to the DCF: It provides broadband internet access for school units and administrative services.
   • Secure Internet access: Ensuring safe navigation and information for the safe use of the internet.
   • Hosting of websites: Hosting and managing websites and domain names for schools, with Web Analytics services.
2. Management, certification and user support
   • Create and manage accounts for schools, teachers and students, with access retrieval support.
   • Provision of assistance and information through the central DCF portal and the Help-Desk service
3. Communication and Cooperation
   • Providing platforms for communities, blogs, school magazines and file sharing.
   • Providing email accounts, collaboration tools and managing email lists.
   • eLearning Services: Support videoconferencing, e-teaching, and hands-on teacher training.
   • Multimedia services: Creation and management of multimedia material, live broadcasts and presentations.
4. Support services: User identity management, provision of digital certificates and technical support through remote access.

The Panhellenic School Network in numbers

The DCF currently serves over 1,318,107 people with personalized access, including:

• 137,640 practicing teachers
• More than 1,000,000 students of Primary and Secondary Education
• 4,193 administrative staff
• 50 779 inactive teachers, such as retired and former teachers

The infrastructure of the DCF shall serve in particular:

• 9,298 public primary schools
• 1,012 private primary schools
• 3,673 public secondary schools
• 248 private secondary schools
• 273 units of Post-Secondary Education
• 58 administrative units of Primary Education
• 60 administrative units of Secondary Education
• 14 Regional Education Directorates
• 288 support structures
• 725 other structures, such as GBER, RCO, OEM, etc.

The total accounts in the DCF amount to 1 346 450 . Of these, 28,343 accounts are used for the needs of the units, while 1,318,107 are personal accounts for teachers, pupils, administrative staff and non-active teachers. (Statistics update: 12/08/2024 ).

Internet security priority

The Panhellenic School Network (PSD) undertakes a series of actions and initiatives to promote a creative and safe internet for the educational community in Greece. These actions aim to enhance digital literacy, safety and responsible use of the internet by students, teachers and parents. Actions and initiatives include educational initiatives on digital security, awareness-raising campaigns, the creation and distribution of educational material, support for the creative use of digital technologies, etc. Indicative actions include:

• 1999: The online content moderation service has been launched, which is constantly being upgraded to ensure safe browsing for students.
• 2009: Creation of the “Internet Safety” information hub to provide educational material and information to teachers, pupils and parents.
• 2011: The provision of webinars through the “Digital Security” section of eTwinning begins, with the aim of supporting schools to use the internet safely.
• 2014: Participation in the Web WeWant initiative, by adapting the Greek version of the book for high school students, encouraging the development of critical thinking and exploring online rights.
• 2017: Organise eTwinning online courses, such as the “Creative and Safe Internet”, and participate in the conference “Learning to Think in a Digital Society” with the participation of teachers from the EU.

Integrated actions

1. eSafety Label+: Become the next eSafety Champion (2017-2019): As a coordinating partner under Erasmus+ (KA2), the DCF has helped promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices on digital security in schools. A total of 341 Greek schools received the digital security label.
2. EduWeb (2016-2018): The aim of the project was to strengthen cooperation in the fight against digital exclusion of adults, with students acting as educators of their digitally illiterate family members.
3. Connecting with Prudence (2015-2016): In collaboration with Safer Internet, this action trained 38,319 students and 318 teachers in the correct and creative use of the Internet.
4. School Violence and Bullying Prevention and Response Network (2014-2015): Around 16,000 teachers were trained to deal with school violence, including cyberbullying.
5. Call a Safer Internet Expert (2015): Action that enabled schools to call experts to inform and educate the school community about safe use of the internet.
6. SUPPORT (2012-2015): Training of more than 2,500 IT teachers for the safe and creative use of the internet through the SUPPORT project in the framework of the NSRF 2007-2013.

Why is it good practice?

The DCF is a particularly successful and well-established good practice in the field of digital education in Greece, and this can be documented in several ways:

1. Broad Dissemination and Coverage: With a service of 16,221 credits and personalized access for over 1.3 million users, the GDS has managed to cover almost the entire educational community in Greece.
2. Support for distance learning: The DCF provides critical e-learning services that have become an integral part of daily education. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, these services proved their value, ensuring the continuity of the educational process.
3. Reduction of Inequalities: The impact of the GDS is extensive, as it offers digital infrastructure to the whole educational community. It has facilitated access to educational material, cooperation between teachers and the participation of students in digital programmes. It has also contributed to reducing inequalities in access to educational resources.
4. Security and Data Protection: By managing more than 10,000,000 malware attacks and implementing strict security protocols, the DCF ensures data security and the protection of its users.
5. Sustainability and Growth: The DCF is financed by national and European funds, which ensures its sustainability and development. The continuous upgrade of its services and its flexibility to adapt to new technological requirements prove its long-term success.
6. Promoting Digital Governance: Through its eGovernment services, the DCF promotes transparency and efficient administration, facilitating interaction between educational institutions and the Ministry.

The Panhellenic School Network is a model of digital infrastructure for education, offering reliable and secure services to hundreds of thousands of users across the country. With its constant presence and continuous development, the DCF is a living example of good practice that can be a guide for other countries or educational organisations wishing to develop similar initiatives. The success of the DCF is due to the integration of modern technological solutions, data security and the continuous support of its users.

Source: European Digital Skills & Jobs Platform