Top 10 Countries with the Best Basic Education Access

A country with a well-educated and well-trained citizens show remarkable social and economic progress. The role of education in providing knowledge, skills and competencies is of prime significance in the landscape the present societies and economies. A good education, almost invariably, is a requisite for employment.

Access to basic education is an indication that the government of each country prepares its citizens to meet the minimum standards set by the job market.

1. Canada, 65.0

The basic education system in Canada covers elementary, secondary and post-secondary. Provincial and territorial government generally govern the education system, so there are slight variation within each province and territory. In all Canadian provinces, education is provided for free for the entire 12-year duration of the basic education from elementary to post-secondary. Depending on the province, education is compulsory for students up to 18 years old.

Most Canadian high school students do exceptionally well in school, regardless of their family background, mother tongue or country of birth. The success of Canada’s education policy can be reflected to the high employment rate of 88 percent among adults aged 25 to 64, working approximately 1,792 hours per year. On the average, 90 percent of the adult population between the ages 25 to 64 earned the equivalent of a high school degree.

All over the world, Canada leads in the implementation of professionally-driven educational reforms. Canada’s strong cultural commitment to improve education has been one of the underlying factors that can be attributed to Canada’s strong performance, even if the national government has very little role in education.

2. Japan, 64.7

The Japanese government’s priority to elevate the standards of science and education at par with the Western standards. The Japanese educational system is primarily reformed and modeled according to the French and German standards that proved to be more advantageous and suitable to the needs of the country.

Compulsory education covers elementary and junior high school, which is free for all school children during the entire nine grades.  Textbooks are also free to all students at compulsory school levels. Generally, Japanese schools have good athletic and educational facilities. Almost all schools in elementary levels have outdoor playground. About 90 percent have access to the gymnasium and 75 percent are equipped with outdoor swimming pools. Moreover, virtually all Japanese elementary schools provide a full lunch to school children.

As one of the well-educated and well trained population, Japan registers 92 percent of its adult population aged 15 to 64 have the equivalent of a high school degree, with approximately 70 percent of the said population are gainfully employed and work on the average of 1,728 hours annually.

3. South Korea, 64.2

Education is South Korea is primarily state-funded and compulsory for students between ages 6 and 14. As one of the best education system in the world, South Korea largely benefitted from the government’s heavy investment in education. The country also runs some of the world’s exceptionally rigorous school systems, especially in high school. The extremely high literacy rates and the government’s strong initiative to invest in the human capital through education are some of the factors that propel the economic success of the nation.

Primary education takes place during the first six years of basic education, followed by a middle school for two years, in preparation for high school. High school usually starts at the tenth grade. During this stage, students may choose to attend either in a vocational or academic high school. Generally, about 68 percent of Korean students opt to enroll in academic high school, which is primarily geared towards a university degree.

Nearly 64 percent of Korean aged 15 to 64 are gainfully employed, working at an average of 2,090 hours per year. On the average, about 80 percent of Korean adults aged 25 to 64 obtain the equivalent of a university degree. In terms of the quality of its education, South Korea is one of the top performing countries and provides relatively equal access to quality education regardless of socioeconomic status.

4. United Kingdom, 64.0

The educational system in the United Kingdom is primarily a devolved matter. Each country of the United Kingdom has a separate education system under separate governments. Basically, there are differences in the system implemented in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, despite the devolved status of education, broad similarities include the three stages of basic education which include early, primary and secondary. Generally, education is compulsory and free for children between 4 and 16 years. Full lunches are also served to schoolchildren.

One important reform initiated in the United Kingdom’s education system is the effort to reverse the shortage of teachers all over the kingdom. When the Blair administration took over, it faced the worst shortages of teachers in history. Hence, massive campaign that focuses on the idea that the teaching profession can make a difference. Within months, significant improvements were noted. Important changes in the teacher’s working environment, compensation raises and the sophisticated recruiting program have made the positive turnaround.

Statistics show that 83 percent of the UK’s adult population has earned the equivalent of the high school education. This has paved the way for the employment of 75 percent of adults between the age of 25 and 64, working at an average of 1,625 hours per year.

5. Sweden, 63.7

Compulsory school attendance being implemented for children between 7 and 16 years, although almost all Swedish children start schooling at the age of 6. Many reforms have been instituted in the curriculum and the way schools are organized during the recent years. Nonetheless, the basic premise of providing free education remains.

Primarily, local municipalities are given responsibility for education. The majority of the budget for education is financed by local taxes. Nearly 50 percent of the municipal budget is spent mostly on education. With the implementation of the Independent School Reform, families are now able to send their children to school, whether state-run or independent, without the need to pay certain fees. The Swedish law ensures that children will be provided with equal rights to education, regardless of their economic status, political inclination, ethnic background or gender. Sweden is also one of the few countries that provide free lunch for pupils.

Good education is also an important aspect of Swedish employment. Statistically, approximately 87 percent of the population aged 15 to 64 received the equivalent of high school education, where 74 percent of the same population group is employed. The good education index can be primarily attributed to the broad education, health, social and labor policies that are responsive to the current needs of the economy.

6. Israel, 62.9

Education accounts to only about 10 percent of Israel’s GDP, wherein most schools are subsidized by the state. Compulsory basic education is divided into three tiers: primary, middle school and high school.  Primary education lasts for 6 years, usually for students 6 to 12 years old. Middle school is for grades 7 to 9 for students aged 12 to 15. High School is for grades 10 to 12 where students are usually aged 15 to 18.

Israel, is recognized as one of the most educated countries in the world, where 78 percent of the funds invested in education is from the government. In general, schools in Israel may be classified either as a state-religious school or an Arab school. The Ministry of Education supervises the state-religious schools, while a separate educational structure is maintained for Arab students, although some Arabs prefer to study in the Jewish System.

Compulsory education begins at the age of 5, but Israeli children usually enter kindergarten beginning the age of 3. Public kindergarten schools are usually free, although some private kindergarten operates in the country. The high school education of Israel is basically patterned on European models. This is primarily due to the influx of Eastern Europeans. Statistics reveal that 82 percent of Israeli adults have an education equivalent to a high school degree, which placed the number of people aged 15 to 64 who have a paid job at 61 percent.

7. France, 62.5

Basic education in France begins at the age of 3, where students can attend to free nursery classes. Students aged 6 to 16 will have to undergo compulsory schooling. France has over 60,000 primary schools to cater to students during the first five years of their formal education. Secondary education is from 11 to 15 years old. The fundamental powers to define and implement the education policies is retained by the central government. However, during the recent years, France has decentralized its educational process. This has brought more flexibility and diversity to the educational sphere.

For more than 20 years, France has been beleaguered by unemployment as youngsters left school without adequate qualifications. With the government’s effort to improve its education structure, schools now go beyond the basic knowledge, but must be able to provide protection against unemployment. The huge improvement is reflected in the statistics showing that show that 71 percent of adults aged 25-64 obtained the equivalent of a high school education. People in France work at an average of 1,476 hours per year, where 64 percent of its population has a paid job.

8.  Germany, 61.5

Over the past decades, there has been a significant decline in manual labor. German employers are now gearing towards hiring a more educated labor force. In Germany, having a good education is a requisite for employment. Some 73 percent of the country’s population aged 15 to 64 have a paid job, working at least 1,413 hours annually.

In terms of the quality and accessibility of its educational system, Germany is among the top performing countries. German generally begin schooling between 3 and 6 years old. However, pre-school education is not free. Free compulsory education, begins at the age of 6. Students will attend primary level for 4 years, with the exception of Berlin and Brandenburg, where students remain at this level for 6 years. Secondary level is on three levels, from grades 5 to 10. Upon completing level I, the student may opt to obtain an exit certificate at the age of 15 or 16, to be eligible to enter vocational training or start working in public service.

The country’s statistics show that generally, an average of 86 percent of adults between 25 and 64 years old have earned the equivalent of a high school degree. The high level of education expectancy is echoed it the country’s strong performance in education as the same percentage of graduates is noted among the younger population aged 25-34.

9. Poland, 6.14

Poland performs moderately in the overall measures, however, a considerable gap is noted where in the top 20 percent of the population earns more than five times the earnings of the lowest 20 percent. About 60 percent of the population aged between 15 and 64 have paid job, working at an average of 1,937 hours every year.

Poland shows some significant performance in terms of education. Despite spending less, Poland is able to raised its performance in education is levels comparable to the United States. In Poland, 89 percent of adults aged 25 to 64 obtain education equivalent to a high school degree. Notably, lifetime earnings increases with the level of education earned.

Poland’s initiated reforms in education have produced remarkable improvement. Prior to 1999, compulsory basic education begin by attending primary school for 8 years, after which, students are given the option to enter vocational or academic program. The instituted reforms changed the cycle in 6 years of primary education, 3 years of comprehensive secondary education before a vocational training. The primary goal of the educational reform is to raise the quality and relevance of secondary education. Poland also made the basic education system more suitable to the competencies required in their economy.

10. United States, 61.3

The overall social progress index indicated that United States scored higher in overall measures. However, there is a considerable gap noted among the highest and the poorest citizens, wherein the top 20 percent earns as much as eight times more than the lowest 20 percent. This disparity is evident in the statistics showing that the students with higher economic status received a better education than those in the lower economic standing.

Americans normally go through compulsory basic education, beginning 5 years old and ending between the ages 16 and 18. Basic education is usually divided into three levels: elementary, junior or middle school and high school. Public education is available for every American, with controls and funding coming from the federal, state or local government. Generally, 88 percent of school children in the United States attend public education. After completing high school, students may choose to attend a university or college or they may choose to start working.

Statistically, at least 89 percent of the American population between 25 and 64 years old obtained the equivalent of a high school degree, with 88 percent of the younger population aged 25 to 34 receiving the same proficiency level. An average of 67 percent of the population aged 15 to 64 have a paid job, working approximately 1,785 hours per year.