From 1870 until the outbreak of the Second World War there were various attempts at educational reform in Greece, one of the most significant being the intention to establish a national technical-vocational education. The aim of this study is to examine why such a reform was deemed necessary and yet failed to be implemented. The first part examines how foreign influences played an important role in shaping the Greek educational system, both in the type of institution provided and by those Greek students who had studied abroad. Next, there is a close analysis of the official discourse on technical-vocational education, along with an examination of why it was felt that a segmented educational system constituted such a priority. Finally, a critical evaluation is provided to explain how the rhetoric and action of successive Greek governments inevitably failed as a result of ideological confusion and political patronage.