Compulsory education is the legally mandated part of an education system in which children or young people are required by law to attend school, or an equivalent recognized educational program, for a specified period usually defined by minimum and maximum ages [1][2][3][4]. It refers to the phase of schooling where enrolment, regular attendance, and participation are legal obligations associated with the right to education, and where parents or guardians and public authorities have corresponding duties to secure compliance [1][2]. Compulsory education is characterized by statutory rules that determine who must attend, for how long, and through which forms of provision, together with regulatory frameworks governing the organization and oversight of the institutions that provide such education [2][3]. Within the broader structure of education systems, compulsory education marks the segment of schooling that all eligible individuals are required to complete, distinguishing it from pre‑compulsory and post‑compulsory education, which are not generally subject to attendance laws [3][4].