Functional Literacy Alarm in Greece: One in Five Students at Risk
One in five students completing compulsory education in Greece faces the risk of functional illiteracy. The 2024 annual report published by the Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE) highlights significant deficiencies in reading, writing, and mathematical comprehension among students graduating from sixth grade and middle school. This situation increases the risk of students failing to fully adapt to academic, professional, and societal requirements.
The analysis, based on recent diagnostic exams, shows that many students struggle to answer even basic-level questions, let alone more complex ones. ADIPPDE President Ilias Matsagouras emphasized the critical need for preventive measures, warning that without intervention, around 20% of students could graduate junior high unprepared to tackle foundational linguistic and cognitive challenges. The report recommends raising the school enrollment age from the current 5 years and 8 months to 6 years to ensure students enter primary school with adequate linguistic, cognitive, and socio-emotional readiness. Early interventions in kindergarten and lower primary grades are also emphasized as essential to address learning gaps before they become systemic.
To combat these challenges, ADIPPDE advocates for rigorous monitoring of first and second graders and establishing Literacy and Functional Literacy Units at the regional education level. These units would implement alternative teaching methods, differentiated learning, and targeted support for struggling students under the guidance of educational supervisors.
Collaboration among kindergarten teachers, elementary educators, school psychologists, and quality supervisors is crucial, the report stresses. With proper measures, Greece can avert an educational crisis and ensure students graduate equipped with the competencies needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.