This is wrong on so many quantified levels of energy.

Wow, good catch. Horrifying. 

Also, one hundred percent of Germans graduate high school? 100%? Really??

It was 86,8 % last year in France.

But this doesn't have as much meaning as you might think it has.

For France, the "Baccalauréat" level has decrease a lot during the last 30 years.

There are positive and negative effects to that fact.

Extremely positive one, is that it gives access to higher studies to much more people and not only the elite like before.

Negative ones, are that the Bac has no value anymore, basically anybody who did a normal highschool (I mean no absenteeism, disease or family problems), can have it without a lot of efforts.

Also, French universities (public studies) are almost free (~500$ a year, or completly free if you really don't have money). And so, because the Bac isn't selective anymore, the 2 first years of university are overcrowded, more than 50% will never pass at the first attempt. Because the Bac doesn't select anymore, the Universities have to do it. And now the first years are extremely messy, full of tourists (people that doesn't care at all, just there because it's cool to say "I'm a student").

Thanks Higgs, public universities get normal again around the 3rd year, when the selection have been done, and only really serious/interested/passionated people are remaining. Also they are other ways to do these 2 first years than public universities, see "Classes préparatoires", but that's another big subject. ^^

Last point: eduction ministers are proud to announce every year that the % of student that  graduate high school is increasing because it gives a good image to what they are doing. So that's another reason to be skeptical on these ratio, they are subject to politic manipulation.

Yeah, same thing as with the USA. They encourage weaker students to leave before they become denominators in the ratio of graduated.

Well this doesn't really happen with Bac, it's more about lowering the level and asking juries to fit the quota the minister asked. And with the >50% first year fail, it's more because people don't work and take it easy, than because universities want to make their ratio better.

What is called "Université" in France, is 100% public, the money they get doesn't depend that much on how much students they get or how good is their reputation, unlike private schools that are 100% financed by tuition fees and donations.

Sounds like no one has incentive to be honest about their numbers.

well, I think everybody tries to run the numbers in their favor. But I was also talking with a friend who`s mother is a teacher, she was also complaining about the dropout rate. And from the teachers perspective, they aren’t treated the best.  It’s a hard job and they aren’t compensated as competitively as other fields or countries.

have you seen this one : http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/news/australia-outperforms-us-and-uk-in-adult-numeracy-and-literacy/ ?  the survey says that the average high-school graduate from Japan has literacy skills that match those of Italian university graduates.  It makes you wonder how they are doing it in Japan ?!

Now look at the depression and suicide ratio in US, then France, then Japan and South Korea. 

I'm pretty sure I prefer a lower level in studies to higher level in suicides.

I think everyone prefers that, Oce.

And Brian, I do wonder how they do it in Japan.