The 2003 edition of Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators enables countries to see themselves in the light of other countries' performance. It provides a rich, comparable and up-to-date array of indicators on the performance of education systems that represent the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the current state of education internationally.

The focus of the 2003 edition of Education at a Glance is on the quality of learning outcomes, the policy levers and contextual factors that shape these outcomes, and the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education. This includes a comparative picture of student performance near the beginning and end of compulsory education that extends to knowledge and skills in important subject areas as well as patterns of learning strategies and engagement in learning. The picture is not limited to aggregate country performance, but also incorporates variations within countries. This allows for an examination of issues of equity in the provision and outcomes of education, on dimensions such as gender, age, socio-economic background, type of institution, or field of education. This report also includes new information on student learning conditions which provides a better understanding of some of the determinants of educational success. This information elaborates on the integration of information and communication technologies in the instructional process, as well as on teacher qualifications, teacher working conditions and other factors affecting teacher demand and supply.

Finally, for many indicators, a significantly larger number of OECD countries are now providing data. Through the World Education Indicators programme, a wide range of non-member countries have also contributed to this year’s edition of Education at a Glance, extending the coverage of some of the indicators to almost two-thirds of the world population.

Foreword
Introduction
Readers' Guide
Chapter A. The Output of Educational Institutions and the Impact of Learning
-A1. Current Upper Secondary Graduation Rates and Attainment of the Adult Population
-A2. Current Tertiary Graduation and Survival Rates and Attainment of the Adult Population
-A3. Graduates by Field of Study
-A4. Reading Literacy of 4th Grade Students
-A5. Reading Literacy of 15-Year-Olds
-A6. Mathematical and Scientific Literacy of 15-Year-Olds
-A7. How Student Performance Varies Between Schools
-A8. Profiles of 15-Year-Old Readers
-A9. Engagement in Reading of 15-Year-Olds
-A10. Fifteen-Year-Olds' Self-Regulated Learning
-A11. Gender Differences in Student Performance
-A12. Labor Force Participation by Level of Educational Attainment
-A13. Expected Years in Education, Employment, and Non-Employment between the Ages of 15 and 29
-A14. The Returns to Education: Education and Earnings
-A15. The Returns to Education: Links between Human Capital and Economic Growth
Chapter B. Financial and Human Resources Invested in Education
-B1. Educational Expenditure per Student
-B2. Expenditure on Educational Institutions Relative to Gross Domestic Product
-B3. Relative Proportions of Public and Private Investment in Educational Institutions
-B4. Total Public Expenditure on Education
-B5. Support for Students and Households through Public Subsidies
-B6. Expenditure on Institutions by Service Category and by Resource Category
Chapter C. Access to Education, Participation, and Progression
-C1. School Expectancy and Enrolment Rates
-C2. Entry to and Expected Years in Tertiary Education and Participation in Secondary Education
-C3. Foreign Students and Tertiary Education
-C4. Education and Work Status of the Youth Population
-C5. The Situation of the Youth Population with Low Levels of Education
Chapter D. The Learning Environment and Organization of Schools
-D1. Total Intended Instruction Time for Students in Primary and Secondary Education
-D2. Class Size and Ratio of Students to Teaching Staff
-D3. Teachers' and Students' Use of Information and Communications Technology in Upper Secondary Education
-D4. Teacher Training and Professional Development of Teachers
-D5. Salaries of Teachers in Public Primay and Secondary Schools
-D6. Teaching Time and Teachers' Working Time
-D7. Teacher Supply and Demand
-D8. Age and Gender Distribution of Teachers, and Staff Employed in Education
Annex 1: Typical Graduation Ages
Annex 2: Basic Reference Statistics
Annex 3: Sources, Methods, and Technical Notes
Glossary
Contributors to this Publication
Related OECD Publications