Educational standards in Spain are uneven. In 2023, 52% of 25-34 year olds held a tertiary qualification (usually a university degree, but in some cases a vocational qualification), significantly higher than the OECD average of 47%. However, it was 26% in the lower class. The proportion of people in the same age group (ages 16-18) who have not completed secondary school in the past two years is much higher than the OECD average of 14%.
However, this high proportion of those with only basic education (law school graduation age is 16) is much lower than the 35% in 2016, and the proportion with higher education has jumped from 41%. are.
Job opportunities are limited for people with low levels of education, but the problem for many graduates is that the jobs they manage to land in a country where unemployment remains high (nearly 12%, double the EU) They often feel overqualified. average). In 2023, Spain’s overqualification rate was 34%, the highest in the EU, significantly higher than the regional average of 21%.[1] It has remained near this level for over 10 years. This severe overqualification and mismatch in fields of study among college graduates causes the brightest and boldest to migrate in search of the jobs they want.
In 2023, Spain’s overqualification rate was 34%, the highest in the EU, significantly higher than the regional average of 21%.
These figures come from the OECD’s latest Education at a Glance report, published last month, allowing international comparisons between 38 countries. Meanwhile, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a Paris-based think tank, measures the performance of 15-year-old students in math, science and reading. The last test was conducted in 2022, and the results were announced in December last year.
Among other large EU countries, Spain has by far the highest proportion of 25-34 year olds with upper secondary education or below, and (along with France) the highest rate of tertiary education attainment. The share of education below upper secondary level is 11% in France, 16% in Germany, 20% in Italy, and 5% in Poland. For higher education, the percentages are 52%, 38%, 30%, and 46%, respectively.
It is an axiom that the higher your level of achievement, the better your employment prospects. In Spain, 63% of 25-34 year olds without upper secondary education qualifications are employed, which is slightly above the OECD average of 61%, while 63% of 25-34 year olds without upper secondary qualifications are employed, which is slightly above the OECD average of 61%. 71% of people with qualifications are employed (OECD average) 79%) have a job. Achievement is also reflected in wages. The 33% of Spanish 25-64 year olds with only basic education earn less than half the median income, compared to 26% of workers who did not leave school at the minimum age.
The simultaneous bursting of the 2008 global financial crisis and Spain’s massive real estate bubble made many families keenly aware of the importance of education. Many of those who lost their jobs in the large construction sector had left school at the age of 16 and found it difficult to find work elsewhere. Some continued their education depending on their age and circumstances. Spain’s NEET rate for 18-24 year olds (not in employment or training) will fall from 23.2% in 2016 to 17.8% in 2023, a steeper decline than in the OECD as a whole (15.8% to 13.8%) did. .
Spain’s performance in PISA tests has been worsening year by year. The average scores on the 2022 test were lower than on the first test in each subject nearly 20 years ago. The latest results were slightly above the OECD average in maths, slightly above reading, and similar in science (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Average scores of major countries on PISA tests in mathematics, reading, and science in 2022
Mathematics Reading Science OECD Average 472476485 Singapore 575543561 Netherlands 493459488 United Kingdom 489494500 Poland 489489499 Germany 475480492 France 474474487 Spain 473474485 Italy 471482477 United States 465504 499 Source: OECD.
Regional results vary markedly. For example, Castilla and León’s score was significantly above the three OECD averages, while the Canary Islands’ result was well below all three (see Figure 2). Castilla and León’s math scores were higher than the Netherlands, and their science scores were higher than the UK. Although the region is not one of the richest in Spain, its high score means that the region has better control over education (devolved to the regions) and its teachers are more competent. seems to be suggesting.
Figure 2. Average scores for each Spanish region on the 2022 PISA test in math, reading, and science.
Mathematics Reading Science OECD Average 472476485 Castile & León 499498506 Asturias 495497503 Cantabria 495494504 Madrid 494496502 La Rioja 493487500 Navarra 492478489 Aragon 487488499 Galicia 4864855 06 Basque Country 482466480 Spain 473474485 Valencia 473482483 Balearic Islands 471472480 Catalonia 469462477 Extremadura 469468479 Castilla-La Mancha 464468475 Murcia 463468482 Andalusia 457461473Canary Islands447463473Source: OECD.
Demographics can also influence results. For example, the last Catalan government claimed that the poor PISA results were because the region had a higher proportion of migrants taking the PISA test than other regions. According to the report, children of immigrants account for 15.7% of the student body in Catalonia, but they accounted for 24% of the students who took the exam.
PISA also assesses the financial literacy of 15-year-olds. Spain scored 486 points, below their average of 498 points. Around 17% of students do not meet the proficiency baseline, which is close to the OECD average of 18%. Baseline proficiency means students can identify common financial products and terminology and make simple decisions about everyday spending in situations they may personally encounter. However, only 5% (average 11%) of top performers can analyze complex financial products and solve non-routine financial problems.
Figure 3. Financial literacy ranking in the 2022 PISA test
Score Score Belgium 527 Norway 489 Denmark 521 Spain 486 Canada 519 Italy 484 Netherlands 517 United Arab Emirates 441 Czech Republic 507 Bulgaria 426 Austria 506 Peru 421 Poland 506 Costa Rica 418 US 505 Brazil 416 Portugal 494 Saudi Arabia 412 Hungary 494 Ma laysia 406 Source: OECD.
In general, the better students perform in math and reading, the better they perform in financial literacy. However, Spain’s financial literacy performance is worse than students in other countries with similar math and reading skills. Spanish students’ financial literacy scores were, on average, seven points lower than expected based on their math and reading performance.
The main factor here is that many schools do not include financial literacy in their compulsory curriculum. It’s not just Spain. Earlier this month, British business leaders called on the government to make financial education compulsory in all English schools. Financial education was added to the curriculum in 2014, but is primarily incorporated into non-core subjects.
Repetition of a grade remains a problem in Spain, with 2.1% of primary school students, 7.8% of junior high school students, and 6.5% of high school students repeating a grade, compared to the OECD averages of 1.5%, 2.2%, and 3.2%, respectively. There is. The effectiveness of repeating a grade is debated, and in many cases it can demotivate a student and cause the person (usually he) to drop out of school at age 16. Despite this, Spain’s early dropout rate has fallen every year since 2013, from a staggering 23.6% to 13.6% last year, still above the EU average of 9.5%.
Although dual vocational training contracts and vocational education and training (VET) in general are finally being given more importance, the level of enrollment and quality remains far from Germany. More than 1 million students will take VET courses in 2022-23, an increase of 36.2% compared to five years ago. Around one in every five Spaniards at university takes VET instead, while the opposite is true in Germany. In many cases, obtaining a vocational qualification can help you get a job faster than obtaining a degree.
The influx of immigrants over the past three decades has challenged the education system. Currently, one in seven students is an immigrant, which is above the OECD average. Second-generation immigrants scored significantly better than first-generation immigrants on the most recent PISA math test. This is because second-generation immigrants tend to be more settled and assimilated. However, it is still well below the score for non-immigrants (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. 2022 PISA Mathematics test performance of immigrant and non-immigrant students.
Percentage of immigrant students Average score of non-immigrants Average score of second-generation immigrant students Average score of first-generation immigrant students OECD average 12.9479459435 Germany 25.8495457398 France 16.5485438425 Spain 15.1481459433 Italy 10.7476453430 Source: PISA 2022 Results, OECD.
Eight new education laws have been enacted in Spain since 1977, when the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the conservative Popular Party (PP) have alternately ruled. A lack of consistency and consensus may be contributing to poor performance on the PISA test. One problem specific to this region is the obsession with rote learning and memorization. We hope that changes to the university entrance exam known as Selectividad announced for 2025, and the biggest reforms in 50 years aimed at encouraging more reasoning and critical thinking, will prove beneficial. I hope. But more than a month after the start of the new academic year, more than 300,000 students preparing to take new exams next June have no idea what their exams will be about and, as they were told earlier this month. He got angry and went on strike.
On the other hand, universities also have a lot of room for improvement. Spanish universities are notorious for their gay marriage policies. Too often, which instructors are hired is determined by nepotism and favoritism rather than ability. External evaluations can be partial and even sketchy.
Overall, Spain’s assessment should be that they can do better.
[1] This percentage is calculated for employers with a tertiary education level and shows the percentage of people employed in jobs that do not require this level of education.
