Q: What are the high school graduation rates in China, Japan and India?
—Judy Garner, Douglasville
A: Japan has one of the highest graduation rates in the world and has consistently held that standard, according to data compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a Paris-based think tank started after World War II to promote economic growth.
OECD’s 563-page “Education at a Glance” report from 2014 (the last year comparative data was compiled) found that Japan graduated 93 percent of students in 2012, down from a high of around 95 percent.
In China, 76 percent of students graduated in 2012. China has improved its rate from 69 percent 10 years ago.
High school completion in India is 42 percent, because of high dropout rates, according to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization.
India has improved its literacy rate from around 20 percent in 1947 to 75 percent, according to a 2012 study by the Center of American Progress.
The graduation rate in the United States reached a high of 82 percent in 2014, the Department of Education reported, an increase from 81 percent in 2013.
The U.S. rate has steadily climbed since 1995, when it was 69 percent, according to OECD.
Several countries graduate more than 90 percent of their students. They include Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Korea, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, OECD reported.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Allison Floyd contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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