Within the European Digital strategy, for the period of 2006-2013, the Greek government started working on a program for online education (http://www.ekpaidefteite.gr), which will finance part of the education of graduate students in the Informational technologies field. The program goes for all students who have been accepted to universities around the country with Greek entry exams from 2005 until 2007. Students from the Greek Open University who are working on their Bachelor degrees and handicapped students can also participate.

The program is new and is done with the cooperation of the Ministry of Economy and Finances and the Ministry of Education and Religions and the support of the National network for research and technologies – institution, which is under the guardianship of the General Secretariat for research and technologies, which is part of the Ministry of development. Students have the opportunity to get a degree in the beginners, advanced, and professional levels in new technologies and digital sciences.

The education courses can be 90% financed, which come up to 600 Euros per student. The second program under the guardianship of those institutions aims for the education of parents in using new technologies, by giving great attention to the Internet “parent control.”

For covering the needs of the handicapped students the financing will also reach 90% out of the total amount or in other words up to 1200 Euros per student.

The realization of the educational program started at the beginning of June this year, and the registration for the next year finished at the end of November. Long before the final deadline the spots were full.

The second program, which starts this year, aims for the education of parents and high school students. Each course starts with a five hour in-home parent training by professionals with a presentation about educational “search engines” and services, which is applied by the Greek education system. Parents will be given access to educational packages online (e-learning). Also, the program includes a financed two month internet plan for those who are not subscribed. A necessary requirement for acceptance in the program is for the parent to have a computer with connection for Internet.

After the end of the training, parents can take exams and get a certificate for Informatics knowledge or ability to do computer work. 34 000 parents, out of whom 80% are mothers, from 1 300 schools have already received their codes for participation in the program. Registration continues until December 5th and you can find more information here: www.goneis.gr .