The 2002 edition of Education at a Glance -- OECD Indicators provides a rich, comparable and up-to-date array of indicators. The indicators represent the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the current state of education internationally. They provide information on the output of educational institutions and the impact of learning, the policy levers that shape educational outcomes and how education systems operate and evolve, and the human and financial resources invested in education. The thematic organisation of the volume and the background information accompanying the tables and charts make this publication a valuable resource for anyone interested in analysing education systems across countries.

The focus of this year's edition of Education at a Glance is on the quality of learning outcomes and the policy levers that shape these outcomes. This includes a comparative picture of student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy as well as of students’ civic engagement and attitudes. The picture is not limited to national performance levels, but also examines questions of equity in learning outcomes and opportunities as well as the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education. New information on student learning conditions, including the learning climate in the classroom and the use of information technology in education as well as on teacher working conditions provide a better understanding of key determinants of educational success.

Finally, for many indicators, a significantly larger number of OECD countries are now providing data. Through the World Education Indicators programme, a wide range of non-member countries have also contributed to this year’s edition of Education at a Glance, extending the coverage of some of the indicators to almost two-thirds of the world population.