How are students prepared for tertiary education?

Topics: Third Level

Sources: OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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How are students prepared for tertiary education?

Education and Skills

2 June 2026

In this issue:

How well prepared are upper secondary students to succeed in tertiary education?
"School should never be the world of children. The world should be their school", says Andreas Schleicher
How do students learn English when it's not their first language?

How well prepared are upper secondary students to succeed in tertiary education?

As access to tertiary education has expanded across OECD countries, ensuring students make a smooth transition to tertiary education and successfully complete their studies have become central challenges. These challenges reflect both differences in system design – such as admission models, assessment structures and financial incentives – and increasing uncertainty among young people, combined with the growing diversification of educational pathways.

To reduce early dropout and promote the completion of tertiary education, education systems must strengthen career guidance for students in upper secondary education, provide clearer and more flexible pathways, and guarantee equitable access to effective support.

Read the brief

Lire la note de synthèse

School should never be the world of children. The world should be their school.

OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher spoke at the Education World Forum in London and shared his latest thoughts on the direction of education systems in an AI world.

He told the audience that countries need to rethink curricula, strengthen digital and critical thinking skills, as well as foster adaptability, creativity and lifelong learning.

❯ Watch the concluding statement

PISA in focus

Learning English as a foreign language across PISA countries and economies

As English continues to shape how people access information, participate in global culture, and compete in the labour market, education systems are under increasing pressure to provide students with meaningful opportunities to learn it. The findings presented here show that education systems are responding in diverse ways.

Find out how

Towards a Global TVET Agenda webinar series

Strengthening TVET systems: evidence-based policymaking in a fragmented data landscape

16 June 2026, 16:00-17:00 CEST

Join this first episode of the Towards a Global TVET Agenda webinar series to explore: i) the current global TVET data landscape; ii) key gaps and challenges in harmonising data across countries; and iii) initial findings from the work towards a Global TVET Data Report. The webinar is organised by BIBB in collaboration with the OECD.

❯ Register here