Students at risk of functional illiteracy

Greece
Sat, 4 Jan 2025 8:20 GMT
Revealing study proposes higher enrollment age and targeted early grade interventions.
Students at risk of functional illiteracy

Students at risk One in five students graduating from Greek compulsory education risks being functionally illiterate. This stark warning headlines the 2024 annual report by the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE). 

The report identifies significant deficiencies in reading, writing and mathematical comprehension among students completing sixth grade and junior high, threatening their ability to fully engage with academic, professional and societal demands.

ADIPPDE’s analysis, based on recent diagnostic exams, paints a troubling picture.

“There is a percentage of primary and junior high school students who cannot respond to first-level difficulty questions, let alone more complex ones,” said ADIPPDE President Ilias Matsagouras, a veteran educator and academic expert.

He emphasized the urgent need for preventive measures. Without intervention, around 20% of students could leave junior high, the endpoint of mandatory education in Greece, unprepared to navigate foundational linguistic and cognitive challenges, a condition UNESCO defines as functional illiteracy.

One proposed remedy is adjusting the minimum school enrollment age to six years old, up from the current five years and eight months. This shift aims to ensure students entering primary school possess sufficient linguistic, cognitive and socio-emotional readiness. “Such readiness is critical to tackle the challenges of early literacy, numeracy and basic arithmetic operations,” Matsagouras noted.

The report also underscores the importance of addressing learning gaps early, starting in kindergarten and the initial grades of primary school. Problems that go unaddressed in these formative years often exacerbate as students progress, noted Matsagouras. He insisted that educational practices must be reassessed and preventive strategies strengthened to manage these issues before they become systemic.

To combat these challenges, ADIPPDE advocates for more rigorous monitoring of first and second graders and the establishment of Literacy and Functional Literacy Units at the regional education level. These units, staffed with experts and coordinated by educational supervisors, would implement alternative teaching approaches, differentiated learning and targeted support for struggling students.

Proactive collaboration among kindergarten teachers, elementary educators, school psychologists and quality supervisors is also essential, the report stresses. With proper measures, Greece could avert a looming educational crisis and ensure that students graduate with the competencies needed for success in a rapidly evolving world.

Apostolos Lakasas-Kathimerini

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