Brussels, 11/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - An ageing population of teachers and a lack of young teachers to take over from them is developing into a real problem when it comes to ensuring the continuity of quality education, according to the annual 2012 “Education at a Glance 2012” report presented on Tuesday 11 September by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The report provides data from 34 different countries, including 21 EU member states on the way the education system is operating and it identifies several aspects in the education field in Europe that are likely to create problems in the near future. The Commissioner for education Androulla Vassiliou welcomed this report and described it as, “an invaluable tool for national and European policy makers… The data clearly shows that the cost of education is far-outweighed by the returns. But we must not be complacent: the report also shows that reforms are needed to modernise education and make it more attractive for both students and teachers”.
More than 40% of secondary school teachers in five EU countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the Netherlands, Sweden) are aged 50 or older - in Germany and Italy the share is even higher at more than 50%. Gender inequality is also a problem: the report shows that nearly a third more women than men are enrolling in higher education in the EU. Education at a Glance also reveals that: 1) education spending in the 21 EU member states covered is on average $9,122 annually per student from primary through to tertiary education. This is slightly below the OECD average of $9,252; 2) 84% of young people in OECD countries are expected to complete upper secondary education; in the EU countries, some 86% will. In 1995-2010, the greatest increase in upper secondary graduation rates was in Portugal (annual growth rate of 4.7%); 3) the financial return on tertiary education continues to grow. A European graduate can expect a net gain of $176,000 (OECD average: $162,000) over his working life, and public long-term benefits from higher education through increased tax payments and other savings are almost three times the size of the public costs; 4) Europe continues to be the preferred destination for students studying outside their country, with EU countries hosting 41% of all foreign - EU and non-EU - students. Foreign students make up 10% or more of enrolments in tertiary education in Austria, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. They account for more than 20% of enrolments in advanced research in Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden and the UK. Across the EU, 76% of foreign students come from another EU country.
Given the increasing importance of education in the EUROPE 2020 strategy, the Commission and the OECD announced during the presentation of the report, an agreement they had reached for developing closer co-operation in the future. (IL/trans.fl)