Grade inflation is often due to parental pressure

More than one in four secondary school pupils is an A student. At least in theory.

The threshold of excellence, 18 out of 20 in the scale in use in Greek high schools, was attained by 179,580 students out of a total of 680,000 last academic year, Education Ministry data show.

Teachers agree that parental pressure to award their children excellent grades is intense, often spilling into verbal abuse. And many of the teachers cave in.

"Often, schools lull the children by awarding grades higher than they deserve," says math teacher Stratos Stratigakis.

This false sense of competence often comes crashing down at the nationwide university entrance exams, where the supposedly perfect students often earn failing grades, to their, and most often their parents' shock.

Grade inflation, a longtime problem, became even more pronounced during the pandemic.