Greek teachers' perspectives on behaviour problems: implications for policy-makers and practitioners

In the course of the 1990s, many education systems in the developed world reported an increase in the number of pupils presenting emotional and behavioural problems. For countries such as Greece on the point of economic development, it is interesting to examine whether as they seek to ‘reform’ their education systems in line with those of more ‘developed’ countries, they are experiencing a similar phenomenon. An analysis of the findings of a survey is presented on the views of over 600 Greek primary school teachers in Athens on the nature and incidence of emotional and behavioural problems. The findings confirm that Greek teachers are facing a deteriorating situation in which they are reporting a greater incidence of behavioural problems compared to the past. Although many of the patterns of behaviour are similar to those reported in other European countries, a number of interesting differences emerge over the levels of reporting of emotional problems. In the course of the analysis of these similarities and differences, a number of implications are identified which, it is suggested, can inform the development of national policy leading to a greater level of support for schools and teachers.