The UK’s education system is ranked 20th for how well it contributes to the country’s economic competitiveness, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum.
The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-17 ranks Singapore as having the top education system, followed by Finland and the Netherlands.
The report aims to calculate the competitiveness of 138 countries by looking at a range of factors, including their education systems.
‘Inadequately educated’ workforce
Overall, the report puts the UK as the 7th most competitive country in the world, up from 10th last year. But it warns that UK business leaders believe an inadequately educated workforce is the fourth biggest problem they face.
Education systems are ranked according to measures such as enrolment rates in secondary and higher education, as well as the quality of education, as evaluated by business leaders.
The most competitive country overall was found to be Switzerland, followed by Singapore and the US, which have also held 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Yemen is ranked as the least economically competitive country in the world and Mauritania foots the education table.
