United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
Educational Characteristics in
the Census Questionnaire
Angela Me, Chief Social and
Demographic Statistics Section
Educational Characteristics
What is the objective of collecting
educational characteristics in the
census?
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 2
Educational Characteristics
Non Core Topics
Core Topics
• Educational
•
Educational Attainment
•
•
•
•
qualifications
Field of study
School attendance
Literacy
Computer literacy
Education: all deliberate, systematic and
organized communication designed to bring
about learning
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 3
Educational attainment
Definition: Highest level successfully completed
• Age limit:  10 years
• Highest level is different from the highest grade (as
recommended in the UN Global Recommendations)
• Grade is a stage of instruction usually covered in the course
of a school year
• Level refers to ISCED: primary, lower secondary, ….
• Grades provide information on levels of education not
successfully completed, studies started and
interrupted
Is level more relevant than grade in Central Asia?
What is the users’ requirement?
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 4
Educational attainment
In the last census round, some ECE countries
asked about grades in general or within
different levels
Example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Example:
Without education
1-3 grade of primary school
4 grade of primary school
5-7 grade of primary school
Primary school
Secondary school
High school
Higher education
What is the highest grade (1-13) of
secondary or elementary
school attended (completed or
not)?
How many years of education has
this person completed at
university?
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 5
Educational attainment
Definition: Highest level successfully completed
• 18/35 countries in the ECE region asked in the
2000 round about highest level of education
completed and not completed (attended)
• Eight countries/35 (Ukraine from CIS) asked
also about the name of or the type of school
• Five countries/35 asked about the year when
the level was completed
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 6
Educational attainment
• It is important to identify persons who have received
no formal schooling, although some countries in the
previous round did not do so
• Illiteracy should NOT be assessed through educational
attainment, it is a different concept
Example:
1. Higher
2.Unfinished higher
3.Secondary vocational
4.Primary vocational
5.Secondary complete
6.Basic general
7.Primary general
8.Has no primary education, but can read and write
9. Illiterate
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 7
Educational qualifications
Definition: degrees, diplomas, certificates, etc.
which have been conferred on a person by
educational authorities, special examining
bodies or professional bodies
• It is suggested to collect information on title of
the highest degree, diploma or certificate
• About 50% of countries included in the
previous census round
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 8
Educational qualifications
It is important to distinguish educational
attainment and educational qualifications
What is your education level?
Two separate
questions, or if in the
same question
separate items
Higher:
1. At least doctorate
2. Master's degree
3. Non-university certificate or diploma
Post-secondary:
4. Post-secondary with secondary school certificate
5. Post-secondary without secondary school
certificate
Secondary:
6. Vocational with certificate
7. Vocational without certificate
8. General with certificate
9. General without certificate
10. Basic vocational
Primary:
11. Primary completed
Others:
12. Primary not completed and no school education
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 9
Field of study
Definition: subject matter taught in an education
programme
• Primarily for persons within the adult
population who have attained secondary
education or above
• One or multiple answers?
• Coding according ISCED
• About 50% of UNECE countries included in
the previous census round
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 10
Field of study
Nine/43 countries included in the last census
round
Example:
Example:
What is the major field of study or
training of this person’s highest
degree, certificate or diploma
(excluding secondary or high
school graduation certificates)?
___________________________
Indicate the main subject area(s) in which
the qualification(s) is held (tick all the boxes
that apply)
Education
Art
Humanities
Social sciences/Business/Law
Life Sciences/Medical Laboratory Science
Physical Sciences/Chemistry
Mathematics/Statistics
Computing/Information Technology
Engineering/Architecture
Agriculture/Forestry/Fishery/Veterinary
Medicine/Dentistry/Nursing/Associated
Medical disciplines/Social services
Tourisms/Hotel and Catering/Sports and
Leisure/Transport Services/Environmental
protection/Security services
Other
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 11
School attendance
Definition: regular attendance at any accredited
educational institution or programme, public or private,
for organized learning at any level of education
• It refers to school population: 5-29, but the age-range
can be extended to include attendance in pre-primary
or adult education
• People who attend school are not only those who are
recorded as “student” in the not economically active
population
• 34/43 countries included it in the previous census
round
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 12
School attendance
It is important to distinguish school attendance from
school enrolment
• Attendance refers to a day-to-day presence at an
institution of learning, it excludes for example internetbased learning. It is important to study the out-toschool children
• Enrolment refers to the formal registration of the
participants at the start of the course (registration)
Attendance is more relevant for primary and
secondary education
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 13
Comparison between attendance
and enrolment ratios, 2000
Attendance
Enrolment
120
Male
Fem ale
100
80
60
40
Uzbelistan
Tajikistan
Republic
of
Moldova
Azerbaijan
Albania
Uzbelistan
Tajikistan
Republic
of
Moldova
Azerbaijan
0
Albania
20
Source: UNICEF Multiple Indicator Clusters Surveys 2, National
Reports for attendance ratios and UNESCO for enrolment ratios
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 14
School attendance
• What is the relevant concept to include in the
census in Central Asia? Attendance or
enrolment?
• Can enrolment data be easily collected
through administrative records?
• What concept was used in the previous
census round: attendance or enrolment?
Some countries used the concept of “study”,
but not clear its definition
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 15
School attendance
• How to design census questions
• Identification of level/type of school attended (most
used)
• Yes/No question on current attendance in school
(not recommended)
• 16/34 countries included questions about the
place of school attended
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 16
Literacy
Definition: ability both to read and write
• Literacy is an applied skill and ideally needs to
be measured in relation to a particular task
(reading a newspaper or writing a letter),
however, the census operations are too
cumbersome to allow for a test in the field
• It needs separate question(s)
• Suggested age range:  10 years
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 17
Literacy
As collected in the previous census, is it
relevant for Central Asian countries?
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 18
Literacy
It may be more relevant to have a set of
literacy assessment questions
The international community is working in
developing a short set of questions, but there
is not yet a final product. Consult UNESCO
experts (Lamp- Literacy Assessment and
Monitoring Programme)
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 19
Computer Literacy
Definition: ability to use basic computer
applications to accomplish everyday tasks
• New topic in the Recommendations that is
becoming very relevant
• Give consideration to the ability to use word
processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, webbrowsing applications
- UNECE Statistical Division
Dushanbe, 12-16 March 2007
Slide 20