Greece’s education system is facing serious challenges. A more relaxed approach to graduation has raised alarms about whether students are truly being prepared for their futures. In both junior and senior high schools, many students are moving ahead with low grades in important subjects. Critics believe this weakens the quality of education.
At the junior high level (gymnasium), around 10% to 15% of students graduate with final grades below 13 out of 20. In high school (lyceum), this number climbs to nearly 20%. These statistics worry educators who fear that the emphasis on secondary subjects, like physical education and religious studies—where students generally excel—might be compromising educational standards. Even in crucial areas such as math and foreign languages, students often pass with average marks due to lenient grading practices.
Sotiris Glavas, a former head of Greece’s Educational Institute, describes the current situation as “an education of convenience and minimal effort.” He points to easy exams and pressure from parents to get good grades as key factors in the decline of academic quality. He warns that this environment promotes “easy promotion,” which doesn’t encourage real learning and achievement.
The Education Ministry is aware of these issues and is seeking suggestions from schools on how to improve the situation. One idea is to create a National High School Diploma, which could implement more standardized assessments and ensure that evaluations are stricter.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, statistics from the Education Ministry show that about 179,225 out of 680,000 junior and senior high school students graduated with high marks—this is around one in four students. Such data emphasize the grading inconsistencies present in schools nationwide.
While the Ministry works on potential reforms, some voices are calling for stricter grading standards. A former official from the Institute for Educational Policy suggests setting minimum grades for core subjects as a requirement for advancement. This approach would encourage schools to lift their expectations, bringing them in line with other European education systems.
However, implementing stricter assessments could have political implications. Higher failure rates might pressure the government to rethink its policies, narrowing the path for educational reform.
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EDUCATION, POLITICS
