EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/614

(2004/C 78 E/0648)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3622/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 December 2003)

Subject: Cost of ‘free’ education in Greece

According to a study reported in the Greek press, total private expenditure on education in Greece amounted to EUR 1 770 000 000 in 2002, which is equal to 2,8 % of total private expenditure in Greece and 1,2 % of the country's gross national product. This astronomical sum is made up of fees for private schools, supplementary tuition (at privately run establishments known in Greece as ‘frondistiria’) in subjects taught in the state schools, the teaching of which, however, is inadequate for those pupils who wish to be admitted to Greek universities, and for foreign language tuition at ‘frondistiria’.

Are there any data available to show whether the equivalent of ‘frondistiria’ exists in the other Member States and how widespread the institution is? In which other Member States are such establishments as widespread and per capita private expenditure on supplementary tuition as high as in Greece? Does the Commission have any data on the expansion of this system in Greece over the last twenty years, a phenomenon which represents a huge drain on the family budget of every Greek, whose income is the lowest in Europe and barely 67 % of the Community average?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2004)

The Commission has at its disposal the Eurostat Household Budget Survey, which includes data on private household expenditure on education. This is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat. The latest survey relates to 1999. Different private expenditure items on education are aggregated within this category, including expenditure related to public education, such as text books and also expenditure on private schools and private tuition. A breakdown of the data presenting expenditure solely on private institutions is, however, unavailable.

The data available for 1999 show that private household expenditure on education in Greece represents 2,4 % of private household expenditure, which is three times the Union average and higher than in any other Member State.

While the data refer to private household expenditure on education in total, there is very little available data on expenditure purely on private tuition. In France, the private tuition market (‘cours particuliers’) amounts to EUR 1,4 billion (0,2 % of private household expenditure) and in Germany, ‘Nachhilfe’ is estimated at over EUR 1 billion (0,1 % of private household expenditure). In the Union as a whole, private tuition is estimated to be less than 0,5 % of private expenditure. In Greece, this figure appears to be over 2 %.

In order to interpret these data correctly, it is important to bear in mind that they do not refer to expenditure of the private sector as a whole, which includes, for example, expenditure by private companies on education and training, nor do they give any indication of expenditure on education and training as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP). The Commission analysed the question of investment in education and training in its Communication of January 2003 entitled ‘Investing efficiently in Education and Training: an imperative for Europe’ (1). Details on the overall levels of investment in the Member States, from both the public and private sectors, can be found in this Communication.

The Commission does not have detailed information on the equivalent of ‘frondistiria’ in Member States at its disposal. However, the data available for Greece suggest that the importance of ‘Frondistiria’ has increased in the last decade. This also has to be seen in the light of growing upper secondary and tertiary attainment rates.

Eurostat data suggest that private household spending on education in Greece has more than doubled between 1988 and 1999 in absolute terms. Measured as a share of household expenditure, it has increased by 50 per cent from 1988 to 1999 (from 1,6 to 2,4 %). In fact, the data reported in the Greek press relating to private expenditure on education in 2002 imply that there may have been a further increase since 1999.

(1) COM(2002) 779 final.