Average Length of Schooling in ASEAN 2023: Indonesia's Position in the Middle Group

The average length of schooling in the ASEAN region in 2023 shows interesting variations that are worth noting. Data on average years of schooling in 2023 shows Singapore as the country with the highest average length of schooling in ASEAN, at 11.99 years, close to the standard for developed countries (12–14 years). Malaysia ranks second with an average of 11.09 years, followed by the Philippines with 9.98 years. These three countries have the highest levels of education in ASEAN.

Moving on to the middle group, Brunei Darussalam recorded an average length of schooling of 9.28 years, followed by Thailand (9.04 years) and Vietnam (8.98 years). Indonesia is also still in this group, with an average length of schooling of 8.70 years in 2023—slightly below Vietnam. When converted to the Indonesian education system, this achievement is roughly equivalent to education up to the third grade of junior high school. This means that it is still quite far from the 12-year compulsory education target.

Meanwhile, in the lower group, Myanmar recorded an average length of schooling of 6.38 years, followed by Laos (6.06 years) and Cambodia (5.20 years). These three ASEAN countries are in the range of less than 7 years of schooling. When equated with education levels, the average population stops schooling at the elementary school level.

This disparity is certainly interesting to study further. Length of schooling not only describes the duration of a person's education but also plays a role in the formation of cognitive abilities, increased productivity, and the formation of individual character. Countries with a higher average length of schooling generally reflect better cognitive capacity and quality of human resources compared to countries with lower achievements