Private schools losing pupils

The impact of Greece’s economic crisis on household budgets has resulted in more and more parents sending their children to state schools rather than private institutions, with the latter now counting some 14,700 fewer pupils than in 2008, according to a new study.

At the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year, 76,612 pupils were studying at the country’s 1,012 private schools, compared to 80,460 the previous year, according to the study by Infobank Hellastat.

In the 2008-09 academic year, before the debt crisis erupted, the number of pupils studying at private schools was 91,349.

According to the association representing Greek private schools, the contraction is expected to continue, with around 2,000 fewer registrations expected this year.