OECD education study highlights UK strength

By September 12, 2018 Press Releases

Almost 1 in 5 of all students in tertiary education in the UK are international, with the UK having one of the highest proportions of international students according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) annual Education at Glance report –– demonstrating the quality and reputation of UK universities and their success as a global export.

The study of education systems in 36 leading countries also found that our schools get more funding per pupil than France, Germany or Japan and the United Kingdom is now among the top three countries for education spending as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP).

Today’s publication from the OECD contains a number of other findings:

  • Teachers with 15 years’ experience earn more than the OECD average
  • The OECD found that the United Kingdom offers some of the most generous financial support for students.
  • The UK has one of the highest enrolment rates of adults over 40 in education, and an above average percentage of students over 20 in vocational programmes.
  • The UK has almost universal enrolment in early education at ages 3 and 4.
  • The percentage of young adults not in education, employment or training continues to fall. It is currently at the lowest level ever among 16- to 18-year-olds.

However, the report also shows that the UK labour market still has “severe” penalties for those with poor qualifications, particularly among the young. Women without qualifications are more likely than men to be out of the workforce.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, Chief Executive Officer of TIGA, said:

“We welcome the findings of the OECD report, which show that education continues to be a success story for the UK.

“The Government’s efforts to improve STEM education in the UK are welcome. Recent efforts have seen more money put into encouraging the uptake of STEM qualifications. Careers advice, teaching, and vocational qualifications are all set to improve in the coming years, which should cement the UK’s place as a world leader in education.  We should also ensure that more young people are obtaining good qualifications to set them on a course for a long and fulfilling career.

“Having a well-educated workforce is vital for industries such as video games. We compete on the skills of our workers against developers from across the world.”

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