A high school diploma can cost not only effort but also money. Those high school graduates, 21% of the total, who have taken (or are still taking) private tutoring to be promoted or admitted to the final exams know this well. Who, all things considered, will have spent on average over 500 euros each.
This scenario was drawn by the “Ripetizioni Private” Observatory of Ripetizioni.it in a research carried out by interviewing 1,000 fifth year high school students. To those who turned to a paid teacher, then, a further contingent must be added, 13% of the total, who would have needed it but who due to lack of resources had to “settle” for good hearts – and we hope also of preparation – of friends and relatives willing to help them for free. Not only, as mentioned, to make a good impression on the exam but also, simply, to be there. Because accessing the final tests is not a given, you have to achieve a passing grade in all subjects. And, paradoxically, this seems to be the most difficult undertaking: last year 3.7% of high school graduates failed before even starting the exam, while only 0.2% had to give up their dream of obtaining a diploma due to failure to achieve the minimum score of 60 out of 100.
The top five subjects to recover in view of the final exam
This also explains why over 67% of high school graduates took repetitions in mathematics. Although it is a discipline characterizing only the scientific high school, this is still present in practically all study courses. Next, in second place in the ranking of the most booked teachers, chosen by 28% of the reference sample, are those specialized in classical languages (Latin and Greek); among them there are certainly many students from classical high schools but also from traditional scientific ones. Third step of the podium, however, for the other sciences (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.), whose lessons were booked by 23% of repeat subscribers. The “Top 5” of subjects to be recovered complete foreign languages and theItalian.
The second test is the one that scares the most
The passage of maturity which, in perspective, is most frightening is undoubtedly the second test. In fact, among those who are taking specific repetitions for the exam, as many as 40% are concentrating on preparing for the “specific” writing, focused on the disciplines characterizing the various school courses. Even more so this year, as almost everywhere an external commissioner will correct the task.
15% of graduates get help for the interview in front of the commission
On the priority scale, after the second test, we find the interview in front of the commission: 15% are getting help to review the entire school program and to refine their oral presentation. Many fewer (10%) are also dedicating the repetition sessions to preparing for the first test, the Italian writing test. While 18% are making sure to follow all three steps of the exam equally.
17% of students take repetitions to be admitted to the high school diploma
The appeal is missing 17%. Well, they are precisely those for whom the state exam represents a more distant goal than for the others: these students, in fact, are working not so much to try to raise their report card on the final straight but to avoid the risk of not being admitted to maturity. All this, however, obviously has a price. And what a price.
The average outlay for repetitions costs 504 euros, 15% more than in 2023
Adding up the amount spent on tuition from September to today, the responses of the graduates lead us to estimate the average outlay at just over 500 euros (precisely 504 euros). A sum almost 15% higher than the average expenditure of high school students, equal to 441.50 euros. And much higher than what was shared by the graduates who took part in a similar survey last year: in 2023 the average budget of graduates for private tutoring stood at around 440 euros.
«The increase – comments Marco Sbardella Chief of Marketing & Business Development of Ripetizioni.it – occurred not so much because of inflation, the average hourly cost is stable from year to year, but because the gaps recorded by students were so profound enough to require longer lesson cycles”.
