School inequalities
A recent study conducted by the Athens University of Economics and Business’s Statistical Institute on last year’s performance by third-year senior high school students reveals the consequences which stem from inconsistencies in the current examination procedures and the growing social inequalities which are to be observed in respect to the entrance to universities (AEI) and technical colleges (TEI). The findings confirm the negative pressure exerted by the contradictory goals of the new examination system, as a single examination procedure tries to evaluate the necessary achievements for graduation while, at the same time, also makes a competitive choice of the top students who are fit to enter university. As a result, a large number of pupils are pushed under the 15-mark threshold (out of 20). In all districts, this percentage represents more than 52.8 percent of the pupils, peaking at 70 percent in the case of the Ionian Islands. It should be noted that according to the study, the overall trend is a downward one. Furthermore, although student performance tends to be uniform from a regional perspective, there are serious variations in the performance of public and private school pupils. Differences among the group of top students are particularly crucial as the number of those who went to private schools is more than twofold the number of public school graduates (11.56, as compared to 4.74 percent). The same applies to the group of pupils who received grades ranging between 15 and 19 (53.41 percent come from private schools and 35.32 percent from public). This means that those who graduate from private institutions represent the greater share of university entrants. The question, then, is not a statistical, but, rather, a social one. In the past three or four decades, pupils from all social classes and strata had an equal chance at university education. However, given that private school pupils tend to come from higher social classes, it is clear that social divisions have also acquired an educational dimension. Should this tendency continue unchecked, it will result in a situation of a de facto social exclusion. The debasement of state education will come with serious social repercussions. The government, which is primarily responsible for taking measures to reverse the trend, should stop deluding itself; and so should the other agents, such as teachers, students and parents.
