Legal provision that requires public authorities to organise the schooling of children, and parents – or persons in charge of parental responsibility – to ensure their education so that they acquire a base of knowledge, skills and culture.
Comment
- The key features of compulsory education in the EU are:
- duration: 8 to 15 years;
- age: 3-6 years old to 15-16 or even 18-19 years old;
- level: from ISCED 0 (early childhood education) or 1 (primary education) to ISCED 2 (lower secondary education) or 3 (upper secondary education);
- the term “compulsory education” refers to the obligation to provide children with education and not schooling;
- the term “compulsory schooling” refers to the obligation for children to attend an educational or training establishment.
Source
Based on Eurostat, 2022; Légifrance, 1992.