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Indicator 23: Number of Schools and School Size
This indicator measures the number of public and private schools, the number of students, and the average number of students per school at the preprimary through secondary and higher education levels. In most education systems, schooling is divided by level (e.g., preprimary, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, and so on) or by curricular program (e.g., academic, vocational). These levels and programs may be separated by school, or they may be combined. If they are kept separate, the number of individual schools is likely to be large, and the average school size is likely to be small. Some educators believe there is a negative association between large school size and student achievement and therefore encourage a reduction in the number of students per school. On the other hand, though smaller schools may have a stronger sense of community, larger schools often can provide broader curricular offerings.
- Of the G-7 countries for which data are available for various years between 1989 and 1992, the United States and Japan had the largest average number of students per school at the preprimary through secondary level (398 and 395, respectively). The average for France (166), the G-7 country with the smallest number of students per school, was less than half that of the United States and Japan.
- The average number of students per preprimary through secondary school in Taiwan (873), the country with the largest number of students per school, was over five times higher than that of Finland (156), the country with the smallest average school size at the preprimary through secondary level.
- Of the G-7 countries included in various years between 1988 and 1993, the United States had a greater average number of students per school at the higher education level (3,988) than Japan (2,188) and Canada (3,769). Germany, Korea, and Taiwan were the only 3 countries among the 11 for which data were available with averages above 5,000. Korea's average (5,677) was almost 8 times that of Belgium (728), the country with the smallest number of students per school.
Table 23a: Number of public and private schools, number of students, and average number of students per school in preprimaryBR through secondary institutions, by level and country: various years
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Number of Number of Total Number of
schools Number of preprimary- Average preprimary Average
preprimary- preprimary- secondary number of secondary numder of
primary secondary secondary secondary students (in students
Country Year schools schools combined schools thousands) per
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G-71
Canada 1989 - - - - - - 14,300 5,020 351
France 1991-92 62,119 11,306 - - 73,425 12,219 166
Germany 1991 19,877 16,172 580 36,629 10,119 276
Japan 1989 39,903 16,781 - - 56,684 22,376 395
United Kingdom 1991-92 25,338 4,731 2,488 32,557 9,049 278
United States 1991-92 78,078 26,510 3,269 107,857 42,964 398
Other
Australia 1992 7,086 1,617 1,254 9,957 3,099 311
Belgium /2 1990-91 1,878 692 -- 2,570 799 311
Finland 1993 - 820 4,610 5,430 849 156
Korea 1990 14,689 4,198 -- 18,887 9,867 522
New Zealand 1990 2,917 253 146 3,316 692 209
Spain 1990-91 20,517 5,370 - - 25,887 8,369 323
Taiwan 1991-92 4,432 975 - - 5,396 4,711 873
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-Not available.
1/ No data available for Italy.
2/ French community only.
NOTE: Private school data included in U.S. figures for number of schools by level are adjusted using nationalBR percentages of public school distribution by level. See supplemental note to Indicator 23 for further details.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1993, tables 44 and 95; Digest of Education Statistics, 1994, table 63. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1993. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Statistical Yearbook, 1992. Various country sources see supplemental note to Indicator 23 for a listing.
Table 23b: Number of public and private higher education institutions,
number of students enrolled, and average number of students per
institution,
by level and country: various years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Average Total number students number of Number of of higher enrolled in students per nonuniversity Number of education higher education institution of Country Year institutions universities institutions (in thousands) higher education -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-71 Canada 1987 102 127 229 863 3,769 France 1990-91 407 77 484 1,276 2,636 Germany 1991 217 98 315 1,783 5,660 Japan 1988 63 490 1,123 2,613 2,327 United States 1991-92 1,444 2,157 3,601 14,360 3,988 Other Belgium2 1990-91 142 9 151 110 728 Finland 1993 175 21 196 188 959 Korea 1990 151 107 258 1,491 5,779 New Zealand 1990 31 7 38 142 3,737 Spain 1989-90 - - 743 1,093 1,471 Taiwan 1991-92 75 46 121 612 5,058 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Not available.
1/ No data available for Italy or the United Kingdom.
2/ French community only.
NOTE: See Glossary for definitions of university and nonuniversity institutions.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1992, table 227; Digest of Education Statistics, 1993, table 192. Various country sources-see supplemental note to Indicator 23 for a listing.
Figure 23a: Average number of students enrolled per preprimary_secondary education institution, by G_7 country:* various years
*No data available for Italy.
NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 23 for country-level sources.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1993, tables 44 and 95; Digest of Education Statistics, 1994, table 62. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Statistical Yearbook, 1992. Various country sourcessee supplemental note to Indicator 23 for a listing.
Figure 23b: Average number of students enrolled per institution of higher education, by G_7 country:* various years
*No data available for Italy and the United Kingdom.
NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 23 for country-level sources.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1992, table 227; Digest of Education Statistics, 1993, table 192. Various country sourcessee supplemental note to Indicator 23 for a listing.
See Supplemental Notes on Figure and Tables.
[Indicator 22]
[Indicator 24]
