Cyprus is among the EU countries with highest proportion of individuals with tertiary education qualifications (with a bachelor or master’s degree or equivalent).
According to a European Commission report entitled `Mind the Gap – education inequality across EU regions’, there are significant disparities in education opportunities and results across – and within – Member States.
The report shows that the regions with the highest proportion of individuals with tertiary education qualifications (with a bachelor or master’s degree or equivalent) are mostly found in the UK, the Netherlands, northern Spain and Cyprus.
The regions with the lowest rates of tertiary education graduates are in Italy, Portugal, Romania and the Czech Republic.
The report also highlights significant regional disparities in terms of adult participation in lifelong learning.
There appears to be a North-South divide in educational attainment, with the highest rates of low-qualified people, with lower secondary education or less, chiefly found in southern European regions and especially in Portugal and Spain.
In contrast, the regions with the lowest rates of low-qualified people are mostly found in the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Geographic inequalities in education persist despite commitments by Member States to promote equity in education and training.
The report – the first of its kind – calls on EU countries to work harder to reduce these inequalities.