- Summary
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- Indicators Part I: Population and School Enrollment
- Indicator 1: School-Age Population
- Indicator 2: Enrollment in Formal Education
- Indicator 3: Trends in Enrollment in Formal Education
- Indicator 4: International and Foreign Students in Higher Education
- Indicators Part II: Academic Performance
- Indicators Part III: Contexts for Learning
- Indicators Part IV: Expenditure for Education
- Indicators Part V: Education Returns: Educational Attainment and Income
- List of Tables
- List of Exhibit and Figures
- References
- Appendix A: The Education Systems of the G-20 Countries
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Indicator 3: Trends in Enrollment in Formal Education
G-20 Countries Included: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
The United Kingdom was the only reporting G-20 country to show a decrease between 2001 and 2011 in the enrollment rate for 20- to 29-year-olds—the age group that corresponds most closely to the typical ages of enrollment in higher education.
This indicator describes changes in the percentage of the population enrolled in formal education between 2001 and 2011. Like Indicator 2, it focuses on the four age groups—3- to 4-year-olds, 5- to 14-year-olds, 15- to 19-year-olds, and 20- to 29-year-olds—that generally correspond to the ages of the children and adults enrolled in preprimary education, primary and lower secondary education, upper secondary education, and higher education, respectively.
In all G-20 countries reporting data except France and Italy (where rates were already over 90 percent), the percentage of 3- to 4-year-old children enrolled in preprimary or primary education programs increased from 2001 to 201 (table 3-1). The largest increase (from 18 to 82 percent) occurred in the Republic of Korea. In the United States, the enrollment rate of 3- to 4-year-olds increased from 47 percent in 2001 to 64 percent in 2011.
There were fewer changes in the percentage of 5- to 14-year-olds enrolled in formal education, mainly because of the strong correspondence in many systems between this age group and the ages covered by compulsory education, resulting in high rates of enrollment. For example, in both 2001 and 2011, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom had at least 99 percent school participation of children ages 5–14. The United States had 100 percent school participation of children ages 5–14 in 2001 and 96 percent in 2011.
For youth ages 15–19, enrollment in formal education programs showed little change from 2001 to 2011, with increases of only 2 percentage points in Brazil (from 75 to 77 percent) and Germany (from 90 to 92 percent) and a decrease of 2 percentage points in France (from 86 to 84 percent). The biggest increase in the enrollment rate of 15- to 19-year-olds from 2001 to 201 was in Turkey (from 30 to 64 percent), followed by increases in Indonesia (from 45 to 61 percent) and Mexico (from 42 to 56 percent).
Comparing 2001 and 2011, the United Kingdom was the only reporting G-20 country to show a decrease between 2001 and 201 in the enrollment rate for 20- to 29-year-olds—the age group that corresponds most closely to the typical ages of enrollment in higher education. In the United Kingdom, the enrollment rate decreased from 23 to 19 percent. The biggest change in enrollment rates among 20- to 29-year-olds was an increase in Turkey, from 5 to 21 percent. In the United States, the enrollment rate increased from 23 to 27 percent.
Definitions and Methodologie
"Formal education" is defined as education provided in the system of schools, colleges, universities, and other formal education institutions; it normally constitutes a continuous ladder of fulltime education for children and young adults.
"Higher education" is used synonymously with "tertiary education," which includes "tertiary type A" programs (ISCED97 5A), which are largely theoretically based and designed to provide qualifications for entry into advanced research programs and professions with high skill requirements; "tertiary type B" programs (ISCED97 5B), which are more occupationally oriented and lead to direct labor market access; and advanced research programs (ISCED97 6), which lead directly to the award of an advanced research qualification (e.g., a Ph.D.). For more information on the ISCED97 levels, see appendix A.
The percentage of the population at given ages enrolled in education is called an "enrollment rate." In this indicator, the term "enrollment rate" refers to the "net enrollment rate" and is defined as the number of students in a particular age group enrolled in education divided by the population of that same age group. The reference years are 2001 and 2011 for population and enrollment data in all countries except Argentina and Canada, where the reference years are 2001 and 2010. However, because of different reference dates for school enrollment and population data within the reference year, enrollment rates may exceed 100 percent for some countries and some age groups.
Enrollments include all full-time and part-time students in public and private institutions. Enrollment in preprimary education programs (generally the 3- to 4-year-old age group) includes only children in preschool, nursery, or center-based day-care programs and excludes children in day-care programs operated in homes.
Percentage-point differences presented in the text were computed from unrounded numbers; therefore, they may differ from computations made using the rounded whole numbers that appear in table 3-1.