Filenews 11 July 2025 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
10,598 cases of students who had to be referred to the Educational Psychology Service (YEPS) during the last school year (2023 – 2024) amounted to 10,598 in order to be supported in various issues they face and which need to be managed and addressed.
A particularly increased number compared to the immediately preceding school year (2022 – 2023) during which the corresponding cases of children were 9,316.
Also, during last school year, 11.1% of the students referred to the Ministry of Education presented problems of violence and behavioural problems, including behavioural disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, aggression, etc.).
Specifically: 349 cases (3.3%) were cases with behavioural problems – violence – aggression and 827 cases (7.8%) with the same problems but with comorbidity of other diagnoses.
An additional percentage of about 9% of the student population referred to the HHS (941 cases) face emotional difficulties (including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, etc.) which very often coexist with delinquency problems.
The above data are included in the response of the Minister of Education, Athena Michaelidou, to the MP of DISY, Giorgos Karoulas, who submitted a question to her with the following points:
> How many referrals of children to educational psychologists were recorded during the current school year by province?
> How many of these references relate to delinquency?
> How many referrals related to delinquency are attributed to each educational psychologist of the Educational Psychology Service?
It is worth noting that from the data recorded in her response by Mrs. Michaelidou, it appears that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the referrals of students to educational psychologists.
Analytically:
> School year 2019 – 2020: 7,229 referrals.
> School year 2020 – 2021: 7,789 referrals.
> School year 2021 – 2022: 8,480 referrals.
> School year 2022 – 2023: 9,316 referrals.
> School year 2023 – 2024: 10,598 referrals.
As for the incidents of delinquent behaviour that every educational psychologist is called upon to manage annually, they amount to about 30 – 40. It is noted that the percentages are not the same every year, nor is the complexity or danger that characterizes them.
Educational psychologists work at the level of the whole school: At a group and individual level, with the child himself/herself, parents/guardians, teachers and, where necessary, with other specialist professionals or institutions.
The Ministry of Education, following requests from the schools or if deemed necessary by the Service, undertakes actions related to the prevention and treatment of school violence and bullying. Educational psychologists implement and develop programs, interventions, experiential workshops as well as trainings for teachers, parents, students and school assistants in school units.
In addition, as mentioned, the Ministry of Education has also developed an action plan for crisis management in the school environment in the context of continuous training of educational psychologists on crisis management and psychological first aid.
