Reflex Country study - School of Business and Economics ...

Ree
On the contrary, in Austria and Switzerland, less than a quarter of upper secondary
education graduates are eligible for the direct entry to tertiary 5A and approximately
50% of graduates are eligible for direct entry to tertiary 5B, which allows some 70% of
graduates to proceed to some kind of tertiary education. Generally, the most selective
systems from this point of view are in Spain and the Czech Republic where less than
50% of upper secondary education graduates are able to enter any kind of tertiary
education.
Table 4
Structural features of school systems across Reflex countries 2003
AT BE CH CZ DE ES FI FR IT JP NL NO UK
First age for selection b 10 12 15 11 10 16 16 15 14 15 12 16 --
ISCED 3A designed to prepare for
direct entry to tertiary 5A (%) b 17 61 23 48 34 43 89 54 67 70 87 70 m
ISCED 3B designed to prepare for
direct entry to tertiary 5B (%) b 52 47 60 10 1 m
PISA variable a 1.21 0.94 0.16 0.73 -0.15 -0.43 -0.90 1.15 -0.03 -0.22 1.60 -0.88 -0.91
Selectivity of HE No Noc No Yes No Yes Yes Yesa No Yes No No Yesb
Sources: a OECD, 2004, b OECD, 2000; Note: a only for Grande Ecoles; b in particular for ‘old’ universities, c Exceptions
are engineering and different studies in health sciences where entrance exams are required.
Next, we report on an indicator (PISA variable) constructed from various measures
of stratification which includes not only standardised indices of the first age of selection,
but also the number of school types or distinct educational programmes available
to 5-years-olds, the proportion of grade repeaters at the different levels, and
the proportion of 5-years-old enrolled in programmes that give access to vocational
studies at the next programme level or direct access to the labour market 3 . High values
indicate highly differentiated/stratificated system of education. Low values represent
unselective system where pupils’ chances are well balanced (all OECD countries
average is = 0). According to the figures presented in particular Austria, France and
the Netherlands have a selective system whereas, Spain, Finland, Japan, Norway and
the United Kingdom have an unselective system.
Finally, we give an overall indication on the entry selection to higher education. With
respect to the selectivity of the higher education system (i.e. entrance requirements),
we see that Spanish graduates of secondary education have to pass a national entrance
exam if they wish to enter long-cycle university programmes. Allocation to particular
programmes takes place on the basis of their exam results. Similarly, we find that in
Japan entrance exams and grades of secondary education are considered very important
selection criteria when entering higher education institutes. Entrance to public
universities in the Czech Republic is also conditioned by entrance procedures. The
individual higher education institute is thereby fully responsible for the form and
content of these procedures. The majority of entrance procedures include a kind of
3. For more details see, OECD 2004, pages 26 -264.