Only subjects that are examined get taken seriously
«We see that some subjects, such as computers or career guidance, which are useful to pupils but are not examined at the end of the school year, have ended up being playtime in the school timetable,» Vassilis Loutziotis, vice-president of the Studies and Documentation Center of the Federation of State Senior High School Teachers, told Kathimerini. And that’s because pupils only study what they see as useful for the exams. «That’s where they have to show what they have learnt all year and be judged on it. But this means that the essence of learning is lost,» says Loutziotis. He explained that the problem is related to the structure of the examination system. «It is very interesting to have a discussion on the issue of exams, but anything that is decided should be put into operation on a pilot basis. That doesn’t happen in Greece, as we have seen in other issues of current interest, such as the history textbook for the fifth class of primary school,» he said, referring to a controversial textbook, parts of which have been re-written after objections to its content.
