Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, for the launch
of the 2010 edition of Education at a Glance 7 September, 2010,
OECD Paris Ladies and Gentlemen: Thank you for being here today.
Every year Education at a Glance takes stock of where countries
stand with their education systems and the progress they have
made towards raising performance, improving equity and enhancing
value for money. This year’s edition comes at a time when all
eyes are focused on the triple challenge of making public
finances sustainable; boosting employment; and building the
foundations for sustainable growth. Education is a large and
growing item of public expenditure in most countries. Public
spending in this area across the OECD represents, on average,
around 5.5% of GDP. This is an encouraging trend. Investing in
education means building a better future. As the Spanish
Minister for Education told me recently: “saving in education
turns out to be very expensive in the end”. The current crisis
and its social legacies have hi