Both annual instruction time and the length of compulsory education have an impact on the total duration of instruction over the course of compulsory education. In some countries, where compulsory education is shorter, students could face a heavier annual workload to meet the country’s statutory requirements. In other countries the workload is distributed evenly over more years. This indicator focuses on compulsory education at primary and lower secondary levels (in public institutions). However, 25 OECD and partner countries have at least one year of compulsory pre-primary education, so the starting age for compulsory education is younger than the starting age for primary education (see Figure X3.D1.1 in https://doi.org/10.1787/d7f76adc-en(OECD, 2023[2]), for more details on the number of years of compulsory education). Moreover, in around three-fifths of countries and other participants with available data, compulsory full-time education extends into at least one year of upper secondary education (Table D1.1). In most countries a large majority of students remain enrolled after the end of compulsory education (see Indicator B1).

Teachers’ statutory salaries can vary according to a number of factors, including the level of education taught, their qualification level and how much experience they have or what stage of their career they are in.

Among the many evaluation mechanisms used in education systems, this indicator looks into two types of standardised student evaluations: national/central assessments and national/central examinations. National/central examinations, which apply to nearly all students, are standardised tests of what students are expected to know or be able to do, and have a formal consequence for students (e.g. eligibility to progress to a higher level of education). Like national/central examinations, national/central assessments are based on standardised student achievement tests. However, their results do not affect students’ progression through schooling or their certification.

A well-prepared teaching and training workforce with the right set of skills is vital for quality VET provision. Ensuring that a sufficient and continuing number of skilled VET teachers are entering and retained in the profession is of central importance in many of the OECD countries reporting concerns about VET teacher shortages in relevant occupations. Germany estimates that the number of VET teachers will only meet 80% of the demand in the coming decade, while in Sweden, it is estimated that the supply of new VET teachers will meet less than half of the demand. In Korea, new VET teachers replaced only 70% of retirees in the past five years. Even countries where VET teacher shortages are not pronounced, such as Finland, Japan, the Netherlands and Norway, anticipate shortages in specific fields and localities (OECD, 2021[1]).