Among the countries that participated in the OECD Trust Survey in 2021 and 2023, the share of the population who were satisfied with the education system fell by 4 percentage points, from 61% to 57%. However, satisfaction increased in 7 of the 20 countries with data available for both years. The largest rises were in Colombia (from 36% to 56%), Canada (from 60% to 68%) and Australia (from 63% to 70%). Denmark maintained high satisfaction levels of over 74% in both years, signalling consistent public approval of its education system (Figure 4.4).
There is significant evidence for the positive benefits to childhood development and well-being of early education and care (OECD, 2022). Enrolment rates in early childhood education are a measure of accessibility, reflecting the availability and inclusiveness of public education systems. On average, enrolment rates in OECD countries stand at 75% for 3-year-olds and 89% for 4-year-olds. France, where school attendance is mandatory from age 3, and the United Kingdom have achieved universal enrolment for both ages. Several other countries have enrolment rates above 95% in both age categories (Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Korea, Norway and Spain). However, notable disparities persist. Türkiye, for instance, reports enrolment rates of just 11% for 3-year-olds and 33% for 4-year-olds, while for Switzerland the rates are only 2% for 3-year-olds and 49% for 4-year-olds (Figure 4.5).
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) maths scores are one indicator of the quality of education systems, reflecting how effectively they equip students with critical analytical and problem-solving skills. In 2022, students across the OECD scored an average of 472 points in the PISA maths test. The highest average scores were in Japan (536 points), Korea (527 points) and Estonia (510 points) (Figure 4.6).
Another measure of the quality of an education system is its ability to educate students equitably, regardless of their background. On average across the OECD, 15.5% of the variance in PISA mathematics scores is attributed to students’ socio-economic status. This highlights the need for policies that address the impact of socio-economic status on student achievement to ensure that all students can reach their potential (OECD, 2023a). Socio-economic background has the smallest influence on educational results in Iceland (9.3% of the variance), Norway (9.6%) and Canada (10.2%), demonstrating these countries’ highly equitable education systems (Figure 4.6).
