Educational opportunities often differ significantly between rural and urban regions, contributing to inequalities in students’ academic experiences and outcomes. Schools located in metropolitan areas are generally better equipped, more adequately staffed, and provide broader access to learning resources, including digital technologies. In contrast, schools in rural areas frequently face challenges related to limited educational materials, staff shortages, and reduced access to technological infrastructure.
A major issue concerns physical access to education. In many agricultural regions in Greece, students are required to commute long distances on a daily basis in order to attend school, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels. In some cases, classrooms are composed of students from multiple grade levels, requiring teachers to deliver instruction simultaneously to learners with differing academic needs. This practice can negatively affect both the overall quality of instruction and the level of individualised support provided to each student. Furthermore, rural communities are often less likely to offer access to extracurricular activities, private tutoring, and nearby educational institutions, all of which can play a crucial role in shaping students’ academic progress, performance, and future educational pathways. These factors may contribute to lower academic achievement compared to students in urban settings, where such support systems are more readily available.
Research also highlights disparities in school dropout rates. Although Greece generally demonstrates low levels of early school leaving, rural areas exhibit significantly higher rates (6.1%) compared to urban regions (1.5%), particularly in areas such as Attica. Overall, the concentration of educational resources and opportunities in urban centres appears to reinforce existing disparities between rural and urban populations in Greece.
Addressing these inequalities is essential for promoting equal access, fostering social inclusion, and ensuring the provision of high-quality education for all students, regardless of geographic location. In fact, educational inequalities remain a key challenge across Europe, shaping learning outcomes and opportunities from an early age. The latest STRIDE report analyses how inequalities in educational achievement have evolved across Europe and how educational policy reforms relate to these trends.
The report “Trends in Inequality in Educational Achievement in Europe” was published in March 2026, aiming to describe the trends of inequalities in educational achievement in Europe based on re-analyses of large-scale educational assessment studies: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). STRIDE researchers adopted an intersectional approach, showing how multiple forms of disadvantage interact: the report focuses on analysing differences in educational achievement among students with different parental education, gender, immigrant status, and urbanisation. It includes a specific section analysing inequalities in educational achievement by urbanisation across 27 EU Member States, Norway and the United Kingdom, measured as the ratio of average scores in urban versus rural areas.
Additionally, the report evaluates policy reforms implemented between 2004 and 2018, focusing on policies that expand access to early childhood education to strengthen equity.
Download the full report at this link
Access all STRIDE publications using the following link: https://stride-research.eu/research-policy/publications/
