International Comparative Data in Education

1. Mekong Institute & UNESCO Regional Office-Bangkok Training Course on “Training of Trainers from the Greater Mekong Sub-Region on Decentralized Education Planning in the Context of Public Sector Management Reform” International Comparative Datain Education 23 February – 6 March 2009; KhonKaen, Thailand Module E4 Prepared by the Education Policy and Reform Unit UNESCO Bangkok February 2009

2. Brief session description Objective: Better understanding on international comparative data in monitoring developmental goals • Key players in producing international comparative data in education • Mechanism of collecting and producing of these data • Key issues and challenges • ISCED97 (International Standard Classification of Education)

3. Agenda and Timetable (1) Session 1 • What are the purposes of having International Comparative data? • Who is responsible for collecting, maintaining and disseminating such data? • Where can we find such data? • How do they collect such data?

4. Agenda and Timetable (2) Session 2 • How diverse should the range of data from different countries be to have international comparison? • Presentation on the International Standard Classification of Education 97(ISCED97) • Hands-on exercises in ISCED application

5. Agenda and Timetable (3) Session 3 • What are the issues, challenges in using the internationally comparative data at the country level and how to resolve them Session 4 • What are the necessary conditions to have good data at national level as well as international level

6. What are the purposes of having International Comparative data?

7. Monitoring the Developmental Goals at the Global Level

8. Education for All Goals (1) • In March, 1990 • At Jomtien, Thailand • Leaders from 155 countries Proclaim the following World Declaration on Education for All:Meeting Basic Learning Needs.

9. Education for All Goals (2) • Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. • Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. • Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes

10. Education for All Goals (3) • Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults. • Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. • Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

11. EFA 18 core indicators (1) Indicator 1:Gross enrolment in early childhood development programmes, including public, private, and community programmes, expressed as a percentage of the official age-group concerned, if any, otherwise the age-group 3 to 5. Indicator 2: Percentage of new entrants to primary grade 1 who have attended some form of organized early childhood development programme. Indicator 3:Apparent (gross) intake rate: new entrants in primary grade 1 as a percentage of the population of official entry age. Indicator 4:Net intake rate: new entrants to primary grade 1 who are of the official primary school-entrance age as a percentage of the corresponding population.

12. EFA 18 core indicators (2) Indicator 5:Gross enrolment ratio. Indicator 6:Net enrolment ratio. Indicator 7: Public current expenditure on primary education a) as a percentage of GNP; and b) per pupil, as a percentage of GNP per capita. Indicator 8: Public expenditure on primary education as a percentage of total public expenditure on education. Indicator 9: Percentage of primary school teachers having the required academic qualifications. Indicator 10: Percentage of primary school teachers who are certified to teach according to national standards. Indicator 11: Pupil-teacher ratio. Indicator 12:Repetition rates by grade.

13. EFA 18 core indicators (3) Indicator 13: Survival rate to grade 5 (percentage of a pupil cohort actually reaching grade 5). Indicator 14: Coefficient of efficiency (ideal number of pupil years needed for a cohort to complete the primary cycle, expressed as a percentage of the actual number of pupil-years). Indicator 15: Percentage of pupils having reached at least grade 4 of primary schooling who master a set of nationally defined basic learning competencies. Indicator 16: Literacy rate of 15-24 year olds. Indicator 17: Adult literacy rate: percentage of the population aged 15+ that is literate. Indicator 18: Literacy Gender Parity Index: ratio of female to male literacy rates.

14. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development 48 selected indicators, aggregated at global and regional levels.

15. MDG Goals: Education (1)

16. MDG Goals: Education (2)

17. Who is responsible for collecting, maintaining and disseminating such data?

18. UNESCO INSTITUTE for STATISTICS UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) - Mission • Provide timely, reliable policy-relevant analytical information on regular and ad-hoc basis • Regular monitoring on global EFA status • Research projects on statistics in UNESCO concerned areas • Strengthen the statistical capacity in the Member States • Regional and in-country statistical capacity building and development of statistical management information system

19. UIS Main Programme Areas (1) “the Institute aims to ensure that policy making is informed by evidence. Monitoring the implementation of policies should also be based on reliable up-to-date statistical data,..” Denise Lievesley • Collection and dissemination of cross national data • Global EFA Monitoring • Statistical capacity building • Statistical methodology and standard setting in UNESCO’s fields of competence • Policy relevant publications

20. UIS Main Programme Areas (2) Cross-cutting and taking many forms… • LAMP (Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme) – content focus • World Education Indicators (WEI) – focus on group of countries at a similar level of development • Technical Assistance (TA) – country focus • Less in-depth than SCB • Identify problems, ways of addressing • Countries on own to implement • Statistical Capacity Building (SCB) – country focus • Support to countries to implement improvements

21. UIS Main Programme Areas (3) Collection and dissemination of cross national data • Global EFA Monitoring • Statistical capacity building • Statistical methodology and standard setting in UNESCO’s fields of competence • Policy relevant publications

22. UIS Clients and Partners A wide range of data-users and audiences • International Organizations • National Statistical Offices, Education Ministries • Non-governmental organisations • Researchers (academic, business) • …and many others UIS data are widely “redistributed,” they are published in: • World Development Indicators, World Bank • Human Development Report, UNDP • State of the World’s Children, UNICEF • Global Education Database, USAID • …and many others

23. How do we collect the data?

24. Data Collection Mechanism Regarding the International Comparative Data for Education • UIS is the main source for the developing countries • OECD is for the developed countries • The World Bank

25. EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE EMIS, MOE Data Compilation and Dissemination Mechanism on Education Statistics UIS Website Various UIS Publications Statistics Division and Population Division The World Bank The Regional Banks Other UN agencies Other research Institutions and Individuals OECD countries Developing countries Data collection channel National Statistics Office National Statistics Office Data dissemination channel

26. Annual Education Data Release Cycle • Data collected for 2004/05 school year as part of the current survey • Current data release refers to the 2003/2004 school-year Example Schedule: For 2004/05 data (Academic year ending 2005) • Distribute the questionnaire October 2005 • Request to submit to the UIS 31 March 2006 • Mid-March07 – 1st web release • April 07– Global Education Digest release • September/October 07 - 2nd web release • November 07 – EFA Global Monitoring report release

27. Where to Find these Data… (1) Population • United Nation Population Division • The World Bank • Other population research institutes Other socio-economic data • The World Bank • United Nations Specialized Agencies (FAO, ILO, WHO) • Other IGO and NGO institutions

28. Where to Find these Data… (2) • OECD • EuroStat • UNSD • UNESCAP • UNICEF • The World Bank • Global EFA Monitoring Reports • UNDP Human Development Reports • Nations Statmaster • List of National Statistical Agencies

29. Thank You