Most Educated Countries in the World: Education is something many of us in developed countries take for granted, but it wasn’t so long ago that any form of education was largely reserved for the elite and rich of society, and 9in particularly, the sons of such families. Over the years this has changed for the better, and education has become widespread for both men and women in many parts of the world. However there is yet a long way to go before everyone has equal access to education.
At the start of this decade, over 130 million teens and kids worldwide were outside of the education system according to the United Nations. This number represents how far away we are from achieving a real global education system. A lack of access to basic education represents less progress, financial stability and overall equality amongst societies. But there are some countries that have taken a path towards achieving equality and joining the ranks of the most educated countries in the world.
In this article we will take a look at those countries that have already achieved their place at the head of this list, and boast the most well educated citizens in the world. How do we measure the access to education in any country? Well, The Social Progress Imperative has compiled research from the United Nations to create a Social Progressive Index (SPI). This offers a comprehensive way of measuring social progress, including a score for a country’s level of access to basic knowledge, taking into account factors like adult literacy rate, primary school enrollment, secondary school enrollment, and women’s mean years in school.
Using these statistics, we have compiled a ranking of the ten most educated countries in the world. Compare it with the top 20 Countries with the Best Quality of Life to how education correlates with well-being, and you’ll be well aware of the importance of promoting a high standard of education throughout the world. Now then, on with our current list!
10 – United States
SPI Index: 61.3
The U.S is a special case, because it is one of the most developed countries in the world, yet surprisingly, the U.S’ ratings are decreasing, the first developed nation to witness this phenomenon. If the trends continues, it won’t be long before the U.S falls out of the top ten most educated countries in the world. Basic education is free in the U.S, but access to higher education is very restricted and expensive. Despite free basic education, illiteracy is growing in the U.S and the number of teenagers dropping out of high school is increasing rapidly, especially in urban areas. If we compare the U.S with other countries, we can say that they are not doing a good job in improving education with their available resources.
9 -Poland
SPI Index:61.4
According to Poland’s Constitution, each individual has the right to education. Public schools in Poland offer free education and the public authorities ensure that every citizen has equal and universal access to education. Even though Poland’s development is not comparable to other countries in this list, their rating is high due to their focus on basic education and their rigorous enforcement of their constitution. There are almost no young people that do not attend school. Children are required to attend six years of primary education and three years of lower secondary education.
8 – Germany
SPI Index: 61.5
Germany has an educational system based on meritocracy. This would not work very well in a country with high inequality, but the low inequality gap in Germany allows for the country to have this sort of system. As in the U.S., the education system differs from one state to another. Students in Germany must, by law, study a foreign language and they are typically heavily examined throughout the course of their education. Their SPI is expected to grow over time.
7 – France
SPI Index: 62.5
France is known worldwide for its inclusive education system. Public education is available for free and 80% of the students in France attend public schools while only about 20% are in private schools. But even private schools are cheap, since teachers are paid by the state. These schools charge low fees and this makes them accessible to students from various socio-economic backgrounds. The French system is known internationally and its rigorous examination is showing great progress.
6 – Israel
SPI Index:62.9
Israel’s education system is centralized. They have secular, Arab, Jewish and Catholic schools. Students have mandatory education from kindergarten until 12th grade, and education is free. For extracurricular activities, they have to pay, but the rates are very low.
5 – Sweden
SPI Index: 63.7
Sweden has an education act in which it states that every child will receive an education, regardless of its socio economic status. Education is mandatory starting at age 6 until age 16 and it is free. Sweden spends more than the average country on education, 6.7% of its national budget every year.
4 – United Kingdom
SPI Index: 64.0
Students in the United Kingdom can either attend free state schools or independent schools that charge fees. The law requires students to go through full-time education until they are 16 years old and in the UK, financial incentives are offered to teenagers who continue in education after the age of 16 to prepare them for higher education or employment. The educational system in the UK is strong and young students are offered a solid education.
3 – South Korea
SPI Index: 64.2
South Korea has a system where it offers free education for all children who are between 6 and 15 years old and high school students who are between 15 and 18 years old have to pay tuition, which is subsidized by the government. The country spends an astonishing 15% of its national budget on education. There is also a big focus on education in the household where it’s common to have “study sessions”. The negative effect of this type of educational system is that the highly competitive structure has lead to an increase in suicide rates among young Koreans.
2 – Japan
SPI Index: 64.7
Japan has a basic education that is free for everyone and nationalized. The curriculum is equal everywhere and controlled by the ministry of education. Given its focus on equal access, Japan has a really high rate, but the pressure that is put on students in order to enter top universities has lead to a meritocracy system at higher education that is not accessible to everyone. Still, Japan ranks really high due to its mandatory elementary and high school education and its rigorous curriculum.
1 – Canada
SPI Index: 65
Canada is a special case; the government barely controls education, which is decentralized and varies widely from state to state. But access to education is free and mandatory until the ages of 16 or 18, depending on the state. Its curriculum varies but the overall education system works perfectly. Canada has a comprehensive education which creates one of the most skilled labor forces in the world.
This is the list of the most educated countries in the world. There are different approaches depending on social development and social inequality. Each of these models is particular to its nation’s context and may not work in other, less-developed countries. But still, they are a model that should lead the way towards increasing basic access to education all over the world.
