“SHADOW EDUCATION” AND ORGANIZED TUTORING EXPENDITURE IN CONTEMPORARY GREECE: FACETS AND DIMENSIONS OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITIES

Christos Goulas, Polina Fatourou, Nikos Fotopoulos

Abstract


The phenomenon of “shadow education” has been a persistent and complex issue in contemporary Greece for decades. It is not only deeply embedded in Greek society but also prevalent in other countries where education plays a vital and highly competitive role. This study explores key aspects and dimensions of “shadow education” in Greece, with a particular focus on household expenditure (during the period 2013–2023) on private supplementary education in general education, highlighting and updating the current landscape of Greek household spending on educational services provided by organised tutoring centres according to the official data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. Furthermore, we analyse private tutorial expenditure during the same period using the same data source and methodology, in an effort to reconstruct the “shadowy puzzle” of an educational pathway that operates parallel to the formal education system, at times visible and at others concealed, yet with significant implications. Among other things, our study focuses on highlighting educational and social inequalities, analysing enduring systemic dysfunctions, and interpreting a paradoxical reality that directly affects the socially disadvantaged and most vulnerable segments of the population within the country.

 

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“shadow education”, private tutoring, household expenditure, educational inequality

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i7.6089

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