Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou yesterday unveiled an ambitious program aimed at whittling down the current syllabus to a core of fundamental subjects, offering more intensive language lessons and broadening the use of online study in the classroom.

“In the midst of a major crisis in Greece, we can seek to rechannel our energies through education,” Diamantopoulou told Kathimerini.

The program, to be applied to kindergartens, primary and secondary schools over the next year, foresees radical changes in teaching methods.

A key change will be the reduction of the number of compulsory subjects, allowing students to choose additional topics that interest them. Also on the cards is the introduction of interactive whiteboards (wall-mounted displays that connect to a computer or projector) and the use of e-books.