Here is a quick microdata check to put some perspective on discontent in Turkey. The country is the worst education performer within the OECD, sharing that honor with Mexico. Portugal is not far behind. According to OECD research, in 2009 over 69 per cent of the 25-64 population had not finished “upper secondary education” and, even worse, 58 per cent of the younger 25-34 year population had not.
Is it possible to run a sustainable economic growth policy with a 58 per cent drop out rate? Will Turkey become the new “Anatolian Tiger”? Ask Korea: it has a senior upper secondary drop-out rate of 2 per cent.
