The Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias and the Minister of Education, Religions and Sports Kyriakos Pierrakakis announced a set of measures to deal with the decrease in admissions to the Higher Military Schools.
Mr. Dendias, presenting the problem, stated, among other things, that in 2020 the coverage rate of the positions in the Higher Military Schools of the country was close to 99% and in 2024 it decreased to 64%, while in particular in the Evelpidon School the coverage rate was 100 % in 2020 and has been reduced to just 34%.
He emphasized that, at the same time, there is an increasing dropout of students during the first year of study, stating that in 2020 the percentage was 6%, in 2021 it rose to 20%, in 2022 to 15%, in 2023 to 18%, while in 2024 to 7 %.
The risk, according to the Minister of National Defense, is the understaffing of the Armed Forces with the consequent inability to support modern weapon systems and the degradation of the quality element of the Armed Forces.
As Mr. Pierrakakis mentioned, the first interventions, in the context of the campaign to attract young people to the Armed Forces, concern incentives that will make admission and study at the Military Schools more attractive, such as:
- Possibility of admission from three scientific fields and professional high schools
- Salary increase for military school students
- Improvement of building facilities and equipment
- New possibilities for research, specialization and development.
- Specializing, Mr. Dendias pointed out that with regard to the increase in the salaries of military school students, the salaries of the students of the Higher Military Educational Institutions are quadrupled from 165 euros to 609 euros, while the salaries of the Higher Military Schools of non-commissioned officers are doubled from 124 to 249 euros.
In addition, they will be granted a student pass and the funds for study support and student benefits will be doubled.
With regard to the modernization and upgrading of building facilities and equipment, projects amounting to 19.7 million euros from the NSRF and the Public Investment Program will proceed to the School of Evelpids, School of Icarus, School of Naval Cadets, School of Corps Officers and School of Nursing Officers, while 18.1 million euros of donations will also be used to upgrade the classrooms, dormitories, library, dormitory and recreation rooms at the Evelpidon School, the auditorium and dormitories of the Naval Cadet School, the restaurants and kitchens of the Icaron School as well as the classrooms, restaurants and kitchens of the Permanent Non-Commissioned Officers School.
With regard to the new possibilities for research, specialization and development, doctoral degrees will be granted by the Higher Military Educational Institutions in cutting-edge fields, the connection of doctoral research with the Defense Innovation Ecosystem will proceed, postgraduate degrees will be granted by the School of National Defense and the Supreme Interdisciplinary School of War, the Supreme Military Educational Institutions will become Centers of Excellence, the institution of the Military Teaching and Training Staff will be established and there will be an interface with HEIs in Greece and abroad.
The campaign to attract young people to the Armed Forces includes an information campaign on the career prospects in the Armed Forces, targeted actions in schools, while actions are already being carried out, such as the number of students in the context of the Navy week and the use of Air Force flight simulators.
In the long term, Mr. Dendias announced that the actions being launched to make the Armed Forces more attractive to young men and women concern new career opportunities with a new modern force structure, a new development system, a new fairer salary scale, a new transfer system with incentives and the most technologically advanced and innovative environment.
With reference to the essential support of the executives and their families, Mr. Dendias explained that regarding the provision of housing, a construction program of 1,000 homes is already underway with the goal of 3,000 homes in 2030. Also, the upgrading of the kindergartens, the Center for Special Developmental Care of Children for the treatment of developmental disorders of children of the Armed Forces, the creation of a Shelter for Supported Living for the Disabled, the utilization of the Disabled by the Armed Forces, medical care will be improved with the bill being finalized, while it will also be created Refugee Care Unit with the aim of accommodating the vulnerable.
For his part, Mr. Pierrakakis underlined that the first changes in the admission system will be made in 2026 and pledged that the student pass will also be granted to the students of the military schools.
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