by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of registrations at private schools across Greece for the 2018-2019 period increased by 10 percent compared with last year, local "Kathimerini" (Daily) newspaper reported on Monday.
The trend was regarded as one more sign that Greeks try to turn page after the exit from the bailout programs this August after eight difficult years of debt crisis, representatives of the local market noted.
Despite financial constraints, private schools gain ground again as parents invest in education, Chairman of the Association of Private Schools Haralambos Kyrailidis said.
The rise in demand for private schools at all grade levels this year has reversed a six-year decline in registrations, from 82,000 students in 2009 to 67,000 in 2015.
There are 1,100 private schools in Greece out of a total of some 13,000 schools nationwide which educate more than 1.3 million pupils from kindergarten to high school, according to education ministry data.
Kyrailidis as well as other representatives of private schools and parents attributed the change this year also to the discounts offered.
The average annual cost for private education has not increased since 2010, standing at 1,200 euros (1,390 US dollars) for kindergartens to over 12,000 euros for high schools, according to the association.
Moreover, private schools offer significant discounts to parents in case they register more than one child, as well as scholarships. (1 euro=1.16 U.S. dollars)
