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Graduation Rates in Québec and the OECD Countries


File number :
IST-ISC-07e

Bibliographic reference :
Gouvernement du Québec, ministère de l’Éducation du Québec (2001). Graduation Rates in Québec and the OECD Countries. Education Statistics Bulletin. [On line]. No. 21, january 2001.
<http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/>

Abstract :

The bulletin entitled Graduation Rates in Québec and the OECD Countries, released in January 2001, provides an international comparison of various educational systems for the 1997-1998 school year with particular emphasis on secondary school education.

The variables selected to make this comparison were gender, program type, and graduation rate. The graduation rate was calculated as follows: the number of diplomas obtained within a particular teaching level was divided by the population of an age group. Age was defined as the age at which a diploma was obtained in an incident-free educational path (without grade repetitions, interruptions, etc.).

In most cases, the academic achievement of female students was more significant than that of their male counterparts. For the 20 countries part of  the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for which secondary school diploma completion rates by gender were shown, fifteen had higher rates for female students. This trend is also true for Quebec (Canada), which had an 88% graduation rate for female students versus 73% for male students.

At the secondary school level, Quebec came in second for the general education sector, but twentieth for vocational studies. Detailed tables show graduation rates according to educational level for several countries.

This bulletin is a follow-up of Educational Statistics Bulletin No 4 (see file IST-ISC-08) that reported on the same comparison for the year 1995. In spite of efforts made to adjust and harmonize the International Standard Classification of Education of 1997 (ISCED-97), the authors have certain reservations with regard to international comparisons by setting forth the following two counts: 1) differences among the educational systems of various countries, and 2) the uncertain reliability of the data from some countries. While heeding this cautionary note, one should bear in mind that comparative studies are important within the globalization context.

Annexed to the document is a figure showing the status of the Quebec education system within the ISCED-97 classification of the OECD.



Links :
http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/

Key Words :
International Comparisons, Gender, Graduation Rate, International Standard Classification of Education, OECD, Secondary/High School

Monitored Countries :
Quebec (Canada), International