Frontistirio

Last updated

A frontistirio (plural: frontistiria) is a prevalent type of private cram school in Greece. In Greece, frontistiria are divided in two categories, which can be either a facility where students are grouped in classes, and private tutoring.

Most Greek secondary education students whose families can afford the significant fees attend a frontistirio, because of the high difficulty of university entrance exams in Greece. It is generally considered impossible for all but the most gifted students to pass university entrance exams without this extra help. [1] An even more expensive alternative is to hire private teachers who tutor the students at home (usually one teacher per subject).

They are used not only for university admission exams, but like other counterparts in countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, many students in Greece that attend middle school or the first grade of high school (as the preparatory courses for the university exams begin in the 2nd grade of high school), due to the low quality of the education system in Greece. Now, frontistiria are starting to become common in primary school students, some times even in the first classes.

As of 2021, they are very common in Greece, and there are even entire companies which are active solely in this sector, such as the Poukamisas company that administers more than 70 branches around the country.

Nowadays, frontistiria and private teachers who cater to university students are also becoming common.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gymnasium (school)</span> Type of school providing advanced secondary education in Europe

Gymnasium is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term preparatory high school or the British term grammar school. Before the 20th century, the gymnasium system was a widespread feature of educational systems throughout many European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tutoring</span> Instructor who gives private lessons

Tutoring is private academic support, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects.

<i>Baccalauréat</i> French diploma

The baccalauréat, often known in France colloquially as the bac, is a French national academic qualification that students can obtain at the completion of their secondary education by meeting certain requirements. Though it has only existed in its present form as a school-leaving examination since Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's implementation on March 17, 1808, its origins date back to the first medieval French universities. According to French law, the baccalaureate is the first academic degree, though it grants the completion of secondary education. Historically, the baccalaureate is administratively supervised by full professors at universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Germany</span> Overview of education in the Federal Republic of Germany

Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German states, with the federal government only playing a minor role.

Education in Japan is managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. Education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper secondary and university levels. Education prior to elementary school is provided at kindergartens and day-care centres. The programmes for those children aged 3–5 resemble those at kindergartens. The educational approach at kindergartens varies greatly from unstructured environments that emphasize play to highly structured environments that are focused on having the child pass the entrance exam at a private elementary school. The academic year starts from April and ends in March, having summer vacation in August and winter vacation in the end of December to the beginning of January.

A cram school is a specialized school that trains its students to achieve particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. The English name is derived from the slang term cramming, meaning to study a large amount of material in a short period of time. The word "crammer" may be used to refer to the school or to an individual teacher who assists a student in cramming.

Khâgne, officially known as classes préparatoires littéraires, is a two-year academic program in the French “post-bac” (≈undergraduate) system, with a specialization in literature and the humanities. It is one of the three main types of Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles, contrasting with other CPGE majors such as Maths Sup in mathematics and engineering, or Prépa HEC in the business domain.

<i>Juku</i> Cram schools in Japan

Gakushū juku are private, fee-paying schools that offer supplementary classes often in preparation for key school and university entrance exams. The term is primarily used to characterize such schools in Japan. Juku typically operate after regular school hours, on weekends, and during school vacations.

Education in Vietnam is a state-run system of public and private education run by the Ministry of Education and Training. It is divided into five levels: preschool, primary school, secondary school, high school, and higher education. Formal education consists of twelve years of basic education. Basic education consists of five years of primary education, four years of secondary education, and three years of high school education. The majority of basic education students are enrolled on a daily basis. The main goals are general knowledge improvement, human resources training and talent development.

The educational system in Taiwan is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The system produces pupils with some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in mathematics and science. Former president Ma Ying-jeou announced in January 2011 that the government would begin the phased implementation of a twelve-year compulsory education program by 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teaching assistant</span> Individual who assists a teacher with instructional responsibilities

A teaching assistant or teacher's aide (TA) or education assistant (EA) or team teacher (TT) is an individual who assists a teacher or professor with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs), who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school students or adults; and elementary school TAs, who are adults.

<i>Hagwon</i> South Korean private educational institutions

Hagwon is a Korean term for a for-profit private educational institution. They are commonly likened to cram schools. Some consider hagwons as private language centers or academies operated like businesses apart from the South Korean public school system. As of 2022, 78.3% of grade school students in South Korea attend at least one and spend an average of 7.2 hours weekly in them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Austria</span> Overview of education in Austria

The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and nine years of education are mandatory. Schools offer a series of vocational-technical and university preparatory tracks involving one to four additional years of education beyond the minimum mandatory level. The legal basis for primary and secondary education in Austria is the School Act of 1962. The Federal Ministry of Education is responsible for funding and supervising primary, secondary, and, since 2000, also tertiary education. Primary and secondary education is administered on the state level by the authorities of the respective states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in South Korea</span> Overview of education in South Korea

Education in South Korea is provided by both public schools and private schools. Both types of schools receive funding from the government, although the amount that the private schools receive is less than the amount of the state schools.

University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.

Education in Romania is based on a free-tuition, egalitarian system. Access to free education is guaranteed by Article 32 in the Constitution of Romania. Education is regulated and enforced by the Ministry of National Education. Each step has its own form of organization and is subject to different laws and directives. Since the downfall of the communist regime, the Romanian educational system has gone through several reforms.

<i>Gymnasium</i> (Germany) Type of secondary school in Germany

Gymnasium, in the German education system, is the most advanced and highest of the three types of German secondary schools, the others being Hauptschule (lowest) and Realschule (middle). Gymnasium strongly emphasizes academic learning, comparable to the British sixth form system or with prep schools in the United States. A student attending Gymnasium is called a Gymnasiast. In 2009/10 there were 3,094 gymnasia in Germany, with c. 2,475,000 students, resulting in an average student number of 800 students per school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuition centre</span> Variety of cram schools

Tuition centres are cram schools. They are private educational institutions which offer tutoring in various subjects and preparation for specific tests and examinations. Cram schools with the title "tuition centre" are predominantly found in Malaysia or Singapore. In other countries they may have different names, such as hagwon, buxiban, or juku. Asians find that tuition classes are necessary for children to keep an edge in the competitive environment.

Education in Jamaica is primarily modeled on the British education system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bǔ kè</span> Social phenomenon in Asia

Buke in the high schools of mainland China, South Korea and Vietnam refers to the social phenomenon of extra study for the improvement of students’ academic performance in the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination, the South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test, and the Vietnamese National High School Exam. This extra study is usually in the form of extra mandatory classes organized by high schools, or private tutoring provided by cram schools.

References

  1. Chatzidaki, Natasha; Kyridis, Argyris; Kechagias, Christos. "A view on the Greek shadow education at the era of the economic crisis. How do private tutors' working conditions are formed?". ResearchGate. Retrieved 11 March 2024.