Global Education Digest 2012 - International Reading Association

SECTION 1 / Policy design and implementation of compulsory education systems
some of these countries have relatively low rates of
participation in lower secondary education, even
though it is compulsory. In Guatemala for example,
the gross enrolment ratio (GER) for lower secondary
was 65% in 2010. The ratios are also below 90% in
Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian
Federation.
Compulsory lower secondary education is less
common in the Arab States, South and West Asia,
and sub-Saharan Africa. In South and West Asia,
although lower secondary education is compulsory
for a majority of children, only 4% live in countries
with gross enrolment ratios above 90%. In particular,
Afghanistan and India have lower secondary
enrolment ratios below 81%.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 12 out of 17 countries with
compulsory lower secondary education have low
levels of participation. For example, in Burkina Faso,
Chad, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda,
the gross enrolment ratios for lower secondary
education are between 25% and 50%.
1.4 DO EDUCATION SYSTEMS REACH
CHILDREN OF THE INTENDED AGES?
Children enrolled in primary education tend to have
a wide range of ages, extending beyond the scope
the curriculum is designed for (see Figure 5). This is
particularly true in less developed countries. Thirtyfour
out of 156 countries worldwide reported that
more than 15% of children in primary education were
FIGURE 4
To what extent are children enrolled in compulsory lower secondary education?
Percentage of lower secondary school-age children by coverage of national compulsory
education systems, 2010
Compulsory lower secondary
education and GER ≥ 90%
Compulsory lower secondary
education and GER < 90%
Lower secondary education
not compulsory
South and West Asia
4 73 23
Sub-Saharan Africa
7
35 58
Arab States
52
31 17
Central and
Eastern Europe
57
43
East Asia and
the Pacific
82
6 13
Latin America and
the Caribbean
85
12 3
Central Asia
97
3
North America and
Western Europe
100
WORLD
48 32 20
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of lower secondary school-age children
Notes: Based on 185 countries and territories representing 98% of the world population.
Sources: UNESCO Institute for Statistics database and International Bureau of Education database.
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