Education at a Glance 2009

of key findings Governments are paying increasing attention to international educational comparisons as they search for effective policies that enhance individuals' social and economic prospects, provide incentives for greater efficiency in the provision of education, and help to mobilise resources to meet rising demands. In response to this need, the OECD devotes a major effort to the development and analysis of quantitative, internationally comparable indicators, which are published annually in Education at a Glance. These indicators enable educational policy makers and practitioners alike to see their education systems in the light of other countries' performances. New features in the 2009 edition include an extension of the analysis of the economic returns to education to social outcomes; new data on long-term unemployment and involuntary part-time work among young adults; an analysis of the spending choices that countries make between factors such as teacher compensation, instruction time and class sizes; an analysis on teaching practices as well as teacher appraisal and feedback based on TALIS; and a review of excellence in education for 15-year-olds based on PISA. Notes on terminology (Mexico) " Upper secondary education " is defined as Bachillerato, and includes general high school, technical professional and combined programmes. It provides the Upper Secondary Certificates (general and combined programmes) and the Vocational Upper Secondary Certificate (vocational or technical programmes). " Lower secondary education " is defined in Mexico as Escuela Secundaria, which is the last level of compulsory education in Mexico. Its main objective is to provide students knowledge to enter upper secondary education or the productive sector. It provides the Secondary Certificate and the Job Training Certificate.