According to a recent announcement from Naftemporiki, the average availability of textbooks across subjects for elementary, middle, and high school education in Greece stands at just 1.24 books per subject. This statistic emphasizes the stark contrast to the multitude of supplementary materials produced by publishing houses and authors, particularly for subjects tested in national exams, where there is a profusion of study aids and different books for each grade level. In fact, for the 2nd and 3rd year of high school, only 49 proposals for all textbooks were submitted, indicating a concerning lack of variety in officially adopted educational materials.

The situation showcases a major issue within the Greek education system where there is a notable shortage of authoring teams and a discrepancy between the available educational resources. While students are facing a shortage in standardized textbooks, publishers are churning out a wide range of aids, underscoring a mismatch in educational planning and resource distribution. The president of the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) pointed out the flawed design in the textbook provision process, mentioning that these issues were flagged at the outset three years ago but have yet to be adequately addressed.

This scenario reveals underlying challenges in the educational framework that could discourage both educators and students. The reliance on a limited number of textbooks may affect the quality of education as the learning material becomes less diverse, leading to potential gaps in knowledge. The stark contrast between the singular nature of textbooks and the abundance of supplementary materials warrants a reevaluation of educational strategies in Greece to ensure that students have access to diverse and quality learning resources, ultimately enhancing their academic experience.