Managing choice, coherence, and specialisation in upper secondary education
With a far greater share of the student cohort progressing into upper secondary education
than previous generations, modern upper secondary systems need to accommodate a wider
variety of student interests, aspirations and learning levels. To respond to these
needs, countries need to balance choice and specialisation to promote coherence. Systems
that provide too much choice or specialisation risk hindering coherence, while those
with too little choice or specialisation risk that upper secondary does not enable
students to identify their interests and deepen their skills in those areas, which
is essential for smooth transitions into post-secondary pathways and the labour market.
This Education Spotlight provides a framework for countries to consider how far their
current system supports the goals of choice, specialisation and coherence and provides
examples from across OECD countries as inspiration for future reforms.
Available from February 29, 2024
In series:OECD Education Spotlightsview more titles