Greeks among worst school dropouts in EU
One in four Greeks under the age of 19 has left school mainly due to economic reasons, according to a survey which found that Greece has one of the highest dropout rates in primary and secondary education in the European Union. The EU survey found that the number of teenagers in Greece who are not a part of the education system is the third highest in the 25-nation bloc with Cyprus and Luxembourg in first and second place, respectively. Luxembourg is high on the list due to a large number of teenagers studying in neighboring countries. Other figures show that Greece has a high university entrance rate with one in four Greeks up to the age of 25 studying up to university level when the EU average stands at 15.6 percent. The survey also confirmed that the number of students heading abroad for tertiary education remains high but that the numbers have started to decline due to more places being made available at local universities. A large number of degree holders are forced to work in positions for which they are overqualified, added the survey.
