The OECD last night released its annual snapshot of the state of education in OECD countries, Education at a Glance 2007. The report allows the comparison of education systems in spending, participation, outcomes and so on. There has been some reporting in the newspapers with the opposition highlighting a drop in education spending and the government disputing some of its findings.
You can search the news reporting in the Library’s Factiva database. The Library also has a subscription to OECD publications via SourceOECD.
Today’s Age reports that:
“Australia was the only developed country to cut public spending on tertiary education in the decade to 2004.”
“Only the US, Japan and Korea charged students more for a public university degree.”
“Across all levels of education … Australia devoted a lower proportion of GDP than the developed world average.”
“About 27 percent of total education funding was private, more than twice the OECD average of 13 per cent.”
“Australia had the lowest unemployment rate for tertiary educated 25 to 29-year-olds in the developed world.”
“Australian school students aged seven to 15 spent more time in the classroom than all countries except Netherlands and Italy.”
UPDATE: See also Simon Marginson’s take from Australian Policy Online in Shooting the messenger.
