Who participates in education?

Abstract

In OECD countries, compulsory education typically begins with primary education, starting at the age of 6. However, in about one-third of OECD and partner countries, compulsory education begins earlier while in Estonia, Finland, Indonesia, Lithuania, the Russian Federation andSouth Africa compulsory education does not begin until the age of 7. Compulsory education ends with the completion or partial completion of upper secondary education at the age of 16 on average across OECD countries, ranging from 14 in Korea and Slovenia to 18 in Belgium, Chile, Germany and Portugal. In the Netherlands, there is partial compulsory education (i.e. students must attend some form of education for at least two days a week) from the age of 16 until they are 18 or they complete a diploma. However, high enrolment rates extend beyond the end of compulsory education in a number of countries. On average across OECD countries, full enrolment (the age range when at least 90% of the population are enrolled in education) lasts 14 years from the age of 4 to the age of 17. The period of full enrolment lasts for between 11 and 16 years in most countries and reaches 17 years in Norway. It is shorter in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Slovak Republic and Turkey, and in partner countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia ().