Tertiary Education Attainment Research Articles

The U-turn in educational inequality. Why a multidimensional approach matters for measuring social inequalities in tertiary educational attainment

This study examines the evolution in the association between social origins and tertiary educational attainment in Belgium, from post-World War II to the millennium’s onset. For this, we rely on a multidimensional measurement of social origins that accounts for interaction mechanisms between parental class and educational resources. We analyse 13,803 individuals over four birth cohorts. In contrast to previous studies, we find a decline in social inequalities for cohorts born before 1975, followed by a resurgence among those born afterwards. This U-turn in social inequalities of tertiary educational attainment is only observable when social origins are measured multidimensionally. Additionally, we investigate the interaction effects between parental resources, revealing divergent evolutions in accumulation and compensation mechanisms. Our findings underscore the renewed importance of combining parental education with parental social class for generations born after 1975.

Parental Educational Homogamy and Children’s Tertiary Education in Europe

In this paper, we examine (1) whether parental educational homogamy is associated with children’s tertiary educational attainment in different European countries and (2) whether this association is moderated by families’ educational backgrounds. Using data from the European Social Survey and multilevel logistic regression models, we find that parental homogamy is important for children’s tertiary educational attainment. In particular, children of more highly educated homogamous parents are more likely to obtain a tertiary degree themselves. This parental homogamy association varies across countries. While the association is below the European average in Czechia, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, it is equal or close to average in Slovenia, Estonia, France, Poland, Ireland, Sweden, and Lithuania, and above average in Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Belgium. Our findings suggest that parental educational constellations should be examined more closely in further education inequality research. * This article belongs to a special issue on “Changes in Educational Homogamy and Its Consequences”.

Institutional Quality in Green and Digital Transition of EU Regions – A Recovery and Resilience Analysis

AbstractThis paper assesses the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) of EU member states and regions to uncover commonalities and differences between green and digital transitions, focusing on the role of institutions, among additional socio‐economic drivers, in modeling them. To that end, relevant indicators have been assembled, and several econometric models have been developed and tested to evaluate institutional performance in relation to green and digital transformations. The study reveals discrepancies in the two explored transition fields and highlights the power of institutional factors in boosting them. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that the green transition in EU regions is positively associated with variables such as life expectancy, institutional quality, tertiary education attainment, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovative activities, while the fruits of digitalization are mainly allied to population with higher studies, core creative class employment, accountability of institutions, and innovative SMEs. These insights offer valuable guidance for decision‐makers to draw lessons from high‐performing or successful regions and strategically assign resources. This includes paying attention to regional financial allocations and their alignment with territorial planning and long‐term policies.

Family structure and policy contexts: implications for tertiary education attainment in 25 European countries

Abstract This study examines how institutional contexts in 25 European countries moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment. Previous research has proposed the resource deprivation perspective to explain lower educational outcomes among children from disrupted families, suggesting that policies addressing resource deprivation could mitigate these negative consequences. However, limited attention has been given to the role of policy contexts in shaping the educational outcomes of youth from disrupted families. This study focuses on two types of policies: the generosity of social benefits to single parents and financial support for students in tertiary education. Using data from the EU-SILC and employing multilevel regression models, the findings indicate that generous financial support for students reduces the tertiary education attainment gap between youth from separated and two-parent families. However, this effect is observed only among low-socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate-SES families. In contrast, the generosity of social benefits does not appear to moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment, even when examining low-SES families or specifically considering benefits for low-earning single parents. Furthermore, the influence of these analysed policies is limited among young people from widowed families.

Institutional ownership and women representation on boards in three different institutional settings

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the moderating effect of country level institutional variables on the relationship between institutional ownership and board gender diversity. Using firm and country level data of three different cultural environments (Gulf Cooperation Council countries, UK, and France) for the years 2018–2019, this study concludes that institutional elements related to women (Women Tertiary education levels; legal support, Economic Participation and culture) create isomorphic pressure on firms that enhance the role of institutional owners in increasing women representation on board of directors. Other governance elements, such as ownership concentration, board independence and board size may indicate governance levels better than board gender diversity in certain institutional environments. The study recommended that board gender diversity should not be a priority for investors and portfolio managers in financial markets where reduced female labor market participation exists. Moreover, quotas may be a good tool for enhancing female representation among boards in contexts that have reduced female labor market participation and high levels of tertiary education attainment to maintain corporate sustainability.

Highly Effective Therapies as First-Line Treatment for Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis

Moderately effective therapies (METs) have been the main treatment in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) for years. Despite the expanding use of highly effective therapies (HETs), treatment strategies for POMS still lack consensus. To assess the real-world association of HET as an index treatment compared with MET with disease activity. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from January 1, 2010, to December 8, 2022, until the last recorded visit. The median follow-up was 5.8 years. A total of 36 French MS centers participated in the Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques (OFSEP) cohort. Of the total participants in OFSEP, only treatment-naive children with relapsing-remitting POMS who received a first HET or MET before adulthood and at least 1 follow-up clinical visit were included in the study. All eligible participants were included in the study, and none declined to participate. HET or MET at treatment initiation. The primary outcome was the time to first relapse after treatment. Secondary outcomes were annualized relapse rate (ARR), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity, time to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) progression, tertiary education attainment, and treatment safety/tolerability. An adapted statistical method was used to model the logarithm of event rate by penalized splines of time, allowing adjustment for effects of covariates that is sensitive to nonlinearity and interactions. Of the 3841 children (5.2% of 74 367 total participants in OFSEP), 530 patients (mean [SD] age, 16.0 [1.8] years; 364 female [68.7%]) were included in the study. In study patients, both treatment strategies were associated with a reduced risk of first relapse within the first 2 years. HET dampened disease activity with a 54% reduction in first relapse risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.31-0.67; P < .001) sustained over 5 years, confirmed on MRI activity (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.34; 95% CI, 0.18-0.66; P = .001), and with a better tolerability pattern than MET. The risk of discontinuation at 2 years was 6 times higher with MET (HR, 5.97; 95% CI, 2.92-12.20). The primary reasons for treatment discontinuation were lack of efficacy and intolerance. Index treatment was not associated with EDSS progression or tertiary education attainment (adjusted OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.24-1.10; P = .09). Results of this cohort study suggest that compared with MET, initial HET in POMS was associated with a reduction in the risk of first relapse with an optimal outcome within the first 2 years and was associated with a lower rate of treatment switching and a better midterm tolerance in children. These findings suggest prioritizing initial HET in POMS, although long-term safety studies are needed.

Sustainability in Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: A MCDM Based Performance Evaluation of European Union and Türkiye for Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9)

Purpose: The aim of this study is to perform two distinct cross-country evaluations including European Union (EU) countries and Türkiye, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9): Industry, innovation and infrastructure. The study aims to obtain rankings that display the relative standings of countries and identify areas for potential enhancement.&#x0D; Methodology: An integrated objective criteria weighting, VIKOR, and MAIRCA based Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach has been employed.&#x0D; Findings: Based on the first analysis, high speed internet coverage (HSI) and the share of rail and inland waterways in inland freight transport (SRI) were prominent criteria, and in the MCDM analysis, Sweden displayed the highest performance, while Greece and Croatia showed the lowest performance. In the second analysis, which included Türkiye, tertiary educational attainment (TEA) criteria stood out; while, Sweden maintained its leading position. Türkiye initially had poor performance in the early years but later improved, reaching a mid-level position among 26 countries by 2020. However, a significant decline in performance was observed in the last two years. In addition, during the handled period Türkiye witnessed a decline in both the number of patent applications and the share of buses and trains in inland passenger transport. Thereby, novel policies and incentives could be formulated to overcome these issues.&#x0D; Originality: Two distinct cross-country analyses were conducted in accordance with the SDG 9 by adopting the most recent data and an integrated methodology. Within this context, EU countries were compared both among themselves and with Türkiye, and valuable findings were presented.

From Classroom to Portfolio: Examining the Link Between Financial Education, Financial Literacy, and Risk-taking

This paper examines a panel dataset spanning the years 2010 to 2020 across ten countries, investigating the intricate relationship between financial assets and financial literacy. Two prominent trends surface:First, an intriguing inverse association is observed between higher rates of tertiary education attainment within a nation's population and individual financial assets. Second, an upsurge in the employment rate among individuals aged 25-64 corresponds with a decline in individual financial assets. These findings defy conventional research and call for comprehensive exploration within the framework of economic principles and broader economic awareness. As educational attainment and employment rates rise, heightened labor market competition, especially among individuals holding undergraduate or advanced degrees, leads to relatively reduced wages for those with similar qualifications, impacting their financial assets. Furthermore, this study corroborates that while increased income aligns with greater risk aversion, risk preferences display dynamic fluctuations over time and in response to personal experiences, contradicting neoclassical economic theory's concept of perfect stability. These findings underscore the necessity for a nuanced understanding of financial behavior. In summary, this research challenges established assumptions concerning the determinants of individual financial assets, highlighting the significance of multifaceted socio-economic variables and evolving risk perceptions in comprehending contemporary financial behaviors.

Exploring the geospatial epidemiology of breast cancer in Iran: identifying significant risk factors and spatial patterns for evidence-based prevention strategies

BackgroundBreast Cancer (BC) is a formidable global health challenge, and Iran is no exception, with BC accounting for a significant proportion of women’s malignancies. To gain deeper insights into the epidemiological characteristics of BC in Iran, this study employs advanced geospatial techniques and feature selection methods to identify significant risk factors and spatial patterns associated with BC incidence.MethodsUsing rigorous statistical methods, geospatial data from Iran, including cancer-related, sociodemographic, healthcare infrastructure, environmental, and air quality data at the provincial level, were meticulously analyzed. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) are calculated, and different regression models are used to identify significant variables associated with BC incidence. Spatial analysis techniques, including global and local Moran's index, geographically weighted regression, and Emerging hotspot analysis, were utilized to examine geospatial patterns, identify clustering and hotspots, and assess spatiotemporal distribution of BC incidence.ResultsThe findings reveal that BC predominantly affects women (98.03%), with higher incidence rates among those aged 50 to 79. Isfahan (ASR = 26.1) and Yazd (ASR = 25.7) exhibit the highest rates. Significant predictors of BC incidence, such as marriage, tertiary education attainment rate, physician-to-population ratio, and PM2.5 air pollution, are identified through regression models.ConclusionThe study's results provide valuable information for the development of evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce the burden of BC in Iran. The findings underscore the importance of early detection, health education campaigns, and targeted interventions in high-risk clusters and adjacent regions. The geospatial insights generated by this study have implications for policy-makers, researchers, and public health practitioners, facilitating the formulation of effective BC prevention strategies tailored to the unique epidemiological patterns in Iran.

Youth educational mobility and the rural family in China

Urban-rural economic opportunity gaps drive rural youth to seek economic stability by migrating away from home and family. The links between educational attainment and economic outcomes for rural youth are well studied in China and elsewhere, but the implications of educational mobility for rural family relationships remain less understood. Extending tenets of second demographic transition theory, we posit that education sets the stage for “individualization:” geographic mobility for urban work distant from rural family networks. Educational mobility may thus set conditions for upending traditional family co-residence patterns, direct-support relationships, and family-gender attitudes. In this paper, we consider first whether educational advancement is associated with urban economic mobility for rural youth in young adulthood, and then ask whether education is linked to disruption of rural family relations. Specifically, using the case of children growing up in rural northwest China, we estimate relationships between secondary and tertiary educational attainment and (1) economic stability, (2) intergenerational geographic separation and material exchange, and (3) traditional family and gender role attitudes, after adjusting for potential confounders. Results show that for both men and women, education is associated with greater economic stability in young adulthood, across several measures, and with an erosion of adherence to traditional family and gender attitudes. Moreover, for men, education correlates to less family proximity and more material exchange.

The Application of Social Network Analysis to Economic and Regional Development: Tertiary Educational Attainment by Sex and Nuts 2 Regions

Abstract Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a process of investigating the structure of a network. With the contribution of graph theory, it studies the relationships (links) that are established between different units, such as individuals, groups, or organizations (nodes), which are taken as interdependent rather than as autonomous. A social network can be compared to a web, which records the relationships or interactions of people. These networks include the social or professional interactions between units through which information and services are exchanged or contacts are recorded on a systematic basis. In this paper we attempt to introduce SNA in Economic and Regional Development, i.e. to examine the correlation of a regional education statistic indicator between certain regions. Specifically, we study the share of citizens who have completed higher education for the age group 25-64 years by gender and NUTS 2 regions. We present the visualisation of several networks, which are generated based on the degree of correlation of the data, and compute measures of centrality to compare the level of higher education by gender. The aim is to determine whether the application of Social Network Analysis could be an alternative research method in the study of Economic and Regional Development.

How the rise of academic families across cohorts influences sons’ and daughters’ tertiary education in West Germany?

In this article, we examine how the rising proportion of academic families across cohorts affects sons’ and daughters’ tertiary educational attainment in the process of educational expansion. Using data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we focus on West Germany and examine whether the upgrading of the educational composition of families across cohorts has particularly contributed to daughters catching up with and even overtaking sons in tertiary educational attainment over time, or whether daughters and sons have benefited equally. In particular, we ask whether the rise of academic families, who are assumed to have stronger gender-egalitarian attitudes toward their children, has contributed to daughters faster increase in tertiary education compared to sons. Our empirical analysis shows that the long-term upgrading of families’ education across cohorts has in a similar manner increased tertiary educational attainment of both sons and daughters. Thus, women’s educational catch-up process cannot be explained by the greater gender-egalitarian focus of academic parents. Rather all origin families, independent of their educational level, are following the same secular trend toward more gender egalitarianism. We also examine to which extent highly qualified mothers serve as role models for their daughters. We find that academic mothers do not serve as particular role models for their daughters. Rather mother’s education is equally important for both sons’ and daughters’ success in higher education. Finally, we show that the rising proportion of academic families across cohorts is connected to a rising proportion of downward mobility for both sons and daughters. However, the share of upward mobile daughters from non-academic families is converging with that of sons.

Associations between exposure to blue spaces and natural and cause-specific mortality in Greece: An ecological study.

A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to natural environments, such as green space, may have a beneficial role in health. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effects of exposure to blue spaces and mortality. We investigated the association of exposure to blue spaces with natural and cause-specific mortality in Greece using an ecological study design METHODS: Mortality and socioeconomic data were obtained from 1,035 municipal units (MUs) from the 2011 census data. To define exposure to "blue" we used a rate of the land cover categories related to blue space from the COoRdination and INformation on the Environmental (CORINE) 2012 map per 10,000 persons in the municipal unit. We further assessed the exposure to blue space in the MUs that are located in the coastline of Greece using the distance to the coast as a proxy for proximity to blue space. the Annual PM2.5, NO2, BC and O3 concentrations for 2010 were predicted by land use regression models while the normalized difference vegetation index was used to assess greenness. We applied single and two exposure Poisson regression models accounting for spatial autocorrelation and adjusting for unemployment and lung cancer mortality rates, percentages of the population aged 25-64 with upper secondary or tertiary education attainment and of those born in Greece, and urbanicity. The analysis was conducted for the whole country and separately by varying geographical definitions. An interquartile range (IQR) increase of blue space per 10,000 persons was associated with decreased risk in natural mortality (Relative Risk (RR): 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98, 0.99), as well as in mortality due to cardiovascular causes, respiratory causes and diseases of the nervous system 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97, 0.99); 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95, 0.99); 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.00) respectively). We estimated protective associations for ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.00 per IQR); COPD mortality (RR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.00 per IQR) and mortality from cerebrovascular disease (RR=0.97 (95% CI: 0.96, 0.99 per IQR). We estimated protective associations for the distance from the coast and mortality from the diseases of the nervous system (RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.92, ≤1km from the coast versus >1km). Our results were stronger for inhabitants of the islands, the coastline and in the rural areas of Greece while the estimates were robust to co-exposure adjustment. We estimated statistically significant protective effects of exposure to blue space on mortality from natural, cardiovascular and respiratory causes, diseases of the nervous system, cerebrovascular and ischemic heart disease for in Greece with higher estimates in the coastline and the islands. Further research is needed to elaborate our findings.

Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety among Surgical Patients in the Preoperative Holding Area of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study.

High preoperative anxiety in surgical patients impacts anesthetic management, postoperative pain scores, patient satisfaction, and postoperative morbidity. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) offers an attractive option for the assessment of preoperative anxiety on account of its brevity and validity. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and predictors of preoperative anxiety in our surgical patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study among surgical patients by means of interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire incorporated both the APAIS and numeric rating scale for anxiety instruments, with the patients' demographic and clinical details. The data collection was carried out from January 2021 to October 2022. Data entry and analysis were done using IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions, statistical software version 25. Continuous variables were summarized using mean and standard deviation, while categorical variables were presented using frequencies and proportions. Chi square test, Student t test, correlation analysis, and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Statistical significance was determined by a P value of <0.05. A total of 451 patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 39.4 ± 14.4 years. The prevalence of clinically significant anxiety was 24.4% (110/451). The predictors of high preoperative anxiety in our cohort were female gender, tertiary education attainment, lack of previous surgical experience, ASA grade 3, and patients scheduled for major surgery. A substantial proportion of the surgical patients experienced clinically significant preoperative anxiety.

Is government spending in the education and health sector necessary for human capital development?

This study intends to examine the impact of current health expenditure, domestic government health expenditure, government education expenditure, social protection, population growth, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on human capital formation in the context of Pakistan. This study utilized skill and health to measure human capital. The study utilized annual data for the period of 1990–2020 and data has been extracted from World Development Indicators (WDI) and World Bank. The study utilized auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test to examine long-run co-integration among defined variables. Furthermore, the study employed ARDL Model to obtain long-run and short-run empirical estimates for modeled variables. The results of this study indicated that current health expenditure (CHE), domestic government health expenditure (DGHE), government education expenditures (GEE), foreign direct expenditure (FDI), and social protection program (SP) have a positive and significant association with human capital in term of primary, secondary, and tertiary education attainment and life expectancy at birth. Moreover, domestic government spending on health and education, and social protection program significantly decreases child mortality in Pakistan. Furthermore, this study found that population growth has a negative and significant association with primary attainment. The findings of this study suggest that the Government of Pakistan should allocate more of its budget for health, education, and social protection programs to uplift its human capital.

Unequal pay for equal education! A case of gender wage gap from Punjab, Pakistan

This study aimed to quantify the returns to tertiary educational attainment and measures the extent to which these returns differ for men and women. The article provides new empirical evidence of the returns to tertiary education literature by introducing a unique instrument, namely the supply of education to deal with endogeneity. The analysis is implemented using a pooled cross-section of five rounds of the Pakistan Social and Living Standards survey with 10,000 observations. The results show that the marginal returns to acquiring one extra year of education beyond matriculation are higher for women than for men. This result could partially explain the reversal of the gender gap in enrolments from secondary and lower to the post-secondary level of education in Punjab. The first stage results highlight the significance of investing in physical infrastructure for the greater accumulation of human capital.

Effectors of Pregorexia and Emesis among Pregnant Women: A Pilot Study.

During pregnancy, women tend to improve their lifestyle habits and refine their dietary intake. Quite often, however, these dietary improvements take an unhealthy turn, with orthorexia nervosa (ON) practices being apparent. The aim of the present pilot cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of ON tendencies and the incidence of pica and record diet practices in a sample of pregnant women. A total of 157 pregnant women were recruited through private practice gynecologists during the first months of 2021. Nutrition-related practices were recorded, orthorexic tendencies were assessed using the translated and culturally adapted Greek version of the ORTO-15 questionnaire, pica practices were evaluated with a binary question and nausea and emesis during pregnancy (NVP) was evaluated using the translated modified Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea (mPUQE). Only two women reported pica tendencies, with ice and snow being the consumed items. The majority (61.1%) of women reported improving their diet since conception was achieved. Folic acid and iron oral nutrient supplements (ONS) were reportedly consumed by the majority of participants (87.9% and 72.6%, respectively) and 9.6% reported using herbal medicine products. The ORTO-15 score was reduced with tertiary education attainment, ART conception, being in the third trimester of pregnancy, consumption of folic acid and MV supplements and was only increased among women who were at their first pregnancy. The majority of participants experienced severe NVP and the remaining experienced moderate NVP. NVP was associated with lower hemoglobin levels, lack of supplementary iron intake, avoidance of gluten-containing foods, as well as with increased gestational weight gain. The results highlight the need to screen pregnant women for disturbed eating behaviors and nutrition-related problems, in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy outcome.

Early origins of metabolic and overall health in young adults: An outcome-wide analysis in a general cohort population

IntroductionLong-term consequences of impaired fetal growth are well documented for cardiometabolic outcomes. We propose an outcome-wide analysis of the association between birth weight (BW) and long-term health in a large contemporary adult cohort. MethodsThe study included 73,315 participants under 60 years with a reliable BW from the French nationwide Constances cohort. Low and high BW (LBW/HBW) were defined as BW<10th and >90th of sex-specific percentiles. Associations between BW and outcomes were analyzed with a sex-stratified modified Poisson regression adjusted for the participant's age, maternal health history, geographical origins, and parents' occupation. ResultsMean BW (10th -90th percentile) was 3390 g (2800-4000) for men and 3247g (2680-3820) for women. In men, LBW was associated with (RR [CI95]): fasting glucose impairment (1.33 [1.16;1.52]); hypertriglyceridemia (1.27 [1.17;1.37]); high blood pressure (HBP) (1.15 [1.07;1.24]); non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD (1.13 [1.02;1.24]); high LDL-cholesterol (1.12 [1.05;1.21]); anxiety (1.12 [1.01;1.24]) and depression (1.09 [1.00;1.18]). HBW was associated with obesity (1.21 [1.08;1.35]). In women, LBW was associated with fasting glucose impairment (1.31 [1.12;1.54]); HBP (1.27 [1.16;1.4]); hypertriglyceridemia (1.20 [1.05;1.36]); anxiety (1.10 [1.03;1.17]); and asthma (1.09 [1;1.19}). HBW was associated with obesity (1.24 [1.13;1.36]) and NAFLD (1.20 [1.06;1.37). LBW and HBW were associated with a lesser likelihood of tertiary education attainment in both sexes. Participants’ education level was a significant partial mediator of the association between LBW and outcomes. ConclusionExtreme BW is associated with long-term health. It should be considered in the personalized prevention of cardiometabolic, respiratory, and mental health conditions in adulthood, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged populations.

Education and Employment of Population with Tertiary Education Attainment in the European Union

Changes in the labor market are due to changes in production processes. Automation and globalization lead to the need to update the skills of the workforce. Finding and accessing jobs is all the easier as people have a high level of education. In a globalized economy, maintaining a high level of competitiveness is a major challenge. Vocational education and training systems can provide the skills, knowledge and competencies needed for new jobs. Vocational education and training programs are thus solutions by which the lack of skills or skills gaps can be filled. For the period 2000-2020, the article presents the comparative situation of the share of the adult population with tertiary education attainment. Their participation in lifelong education and training programs is very important. The comparative situation of participation rate in education and training is also analyzed. The labor market can influence the areas that high school graduates can pursue in higher education. Thus, the article presents the distribution of tertiary education graduates according to field of education.

HAS SERBIA REACHED THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION OF EU COUNTRIES? MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATION

The aim of the paper is to analyse the position of the Republic of Serbia in relation to the performance of education in the countries of the European Union (EU), which was evaluated based on a multi-criteria analysis. For that purpose, the following criteria from the Eurostat database were used: Tertiary educational attainment (age group 25-34), Participation in early childhood education, Adult participation in learning, Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills and Early leavers from education and training. In the ranking of countries, the Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) was applied, while the weighting coefficients were calculated using the equal weighting method. Research shows that Serbia lags far behind EU countries in terms of the quality of education, so educational policy makers must improve that quality in the coming period, especially when it comes to the indicator – Participation in early childhood education. In addition, the hypothesis that highly developed countries (based on GDP per capita) have higher values of the composite index of education was confirmed. The best results are achieved by the countries of Northern Europe, so in improving the level of education, the practice of these countries must be followed and adopted by policy makers.