The Demand for Post-Compulsory Education in Four European Countries

This study seeks to explain changes in the post-compulsory education participation rates of 16- and 18-year-old people in England and Wales, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The results suggest that the key explanatory variable is the increase in prior academic attainment before the end of compulsory schooling. While this is the case particularly for females, males are also influenced by the returns available to offering a higher level of education, and the level of real income available to 'spend' on education. The level of youth unemployment seems to play only a small part in the decision of whether to remain in education.