Australia Sits in Class Twice as Long as Poland

From the first grade to the end of lower secondary, Australia's compulsory classroom time adds up to 11,000 hours. Poland's is 5,304, less than half. And one US state, Texas, puts in 11,340: more than any country in this race. Compulsory instruction hours, primary + lower secondary (OECD, 2025): Poland 5,304 · Finland 6,413 · United States 8,916 · Australia 11,000 · Texas 11,340 How it was made: every ball's height is its country's total hours, all on one scale, so the race is the table itself. Source: OECD, Education at a Glance 2025, Indicator D1 (instruction time in compulsory general education, public institutions). The OECD average is 7,642 hours; some partner countries are lower than Poland. How many hours did YOUR country keep you in class? 👇