The risk of failure
The price of educational failure is high. People with lower levels of education are more likely to be unemployed and less able to contribute both to their own well being and to that of their societies.

What does the OECD do?
The OECD investigates the wider impact of education for both individuals and societies, and helps countries promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds and at every stage of life. The aim is to ensure that education systems avoid perpetuating social and economic disadvantage and that they contribute to growth and social stability.

OECD work includes compiling comparable education indicators - published in Education at a Glance - which provide insights into the human capital of OECD countries and their progress in creating fair and equitable education. A wide range of topics are included in these indicators, including the financing of education and OECD’s PISA programme.

Equity in education - and other issues - are covered in country reviews and in work on students with special needs. Related is OECD’s work on lifelong learning, which promotes learning as a continuous thread in people’s lives - from preschool into adulthood. Through CELE (Centre for Effective Learning Environments), the OECD works with countries on improving the physical environment of learning institutions.

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