- Students in OECD countries are expected to receive a total of 7 751 hours of instruction on average during their primary and lower secondary education – the bulk of that time is compulsory.
- In general, the higher the level of education, the greater the number of instruction hours a year.
- Reading, mathematics and science take up around 50% of the compulsory curricular time in primary education but only 40% at the lower secondary level.
- The wide variation in instruction hours across OECD countries suggests there is little consensus on the most effective policies related to school time.
How Much Time Do Primary and Lower Secondary Students Spend in the Classroom?
Education Indicators in Focus
