Achievement at the higher education entry examinations in Greece: A Procrustean approach

Abstract

The paper examines the way the national higher education entryexaminations in Greece are used to determine entry into the 100 percentgovernment-controlled state tertiary education system. The databaserefers to the population of all secondary education graduates taking (ornot taking) the June 2000 national secondary school examination. Thereis considerable achievement variation across regions and types ofschool. Poor districts, evening schools, and state schools areassociated with lower achievement. Private schools are associated withhigher achievement, even controlling for parental schooling and wealth.Regardless of the student's achievement in the national examinations,entry each year is mainly determined by the number of available places.Given the fact the state cannot afford to provide free access to allthose who want entry, the non-university cycle has expanded rapidly toaccommodate a greater number of students into ``higher educationtechnological institutes'' that are most frequently not the candidates'first choice. Thus, the fable of Procrustes is revived in modernGreece.