Increasing numbers of high school graduates are choosing to pursue higher education, reveals a new study concerning higher education trends in the EU.

Available and widespread university education means stronger economies and a richer labour force according to the latest edition of the OECD's annual Education at a Glance.
 
Some sceptics worry that a large university-educated population will cause greater unemployment for those at the lower end of the education scale. The OECD's publication argues there should be no fear of this "crowding-out" effect due to a lack of evidence.
 
Education at a Glance uses measures of quality, quantity, equity and efficiency of international education indicators in order to compile its study. This year's edition shows that more than 40 percent of young adults in EU countries are finishing higher education courses, including the Netherlands.

The OECD concludes that a direct correlation exists between number of graduates and less extensive programmes. In countries such as Germany where courses are lengthier, the number of degree holders plummets to 20 percent.
 
Overall, more and more high school graduates are choosing to pursue higher education. Despite the growing numbers, the earnings capacity of degree holders has not decreased and may even be increasing.
 
The Education at a Glance edition further disqualifies the notion of a "crowding-out" effect. From 1995 to 2004, unemployment became a bigger problem in countries where higher education did not experience significant growth such as in Germany, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
 
The study uses a point system to elaborate the unemployment penalties. On average, unemployment rates among people who do not complete high school are five percentage points higher than people who complete upper secondary education and seven points higher than people with university degrees.
 
As the demand for higher education increases and its benefits are revealed, countries are spending more on the system. Since 1995, education overall has seen a 40 percent increase. Analysts believe that the maximum benefit of the past decade of spending has yet to be maximized.
 
The Education at a Glance edition concludes that countries should be prepared to spend more on higher education as a result of its dramatic benefits. Reasonable financial supplement from students themselves without drastically hindering enrolment may be a possibility.

12 October 2007

[Copyright Expatica 2007]