Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
F5: Education, health and social protection
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
23 February 2011
2.2. Metadata last posted
23 February 2011
2.3. Metadata last update
23 February 2011
3.1. Data description
The aim of this section is to provide comparable statistics and indicators on education in the 27 Member States of the European Union, at the regional level NUTS 2. In order to facilitate comparison between countries, data from each Member State are allocated to the various education levels of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), UNESCO 1997.
3.2. Classification system
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)
For more details, see: Reference Guide (see Annex at the bottom of the page).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
When making international comparisons, it is important to take into account the differences and the most recent changes in the national education and training systems, the reorganisation of the data collection on education statistics and, in particular, the revision of the international classification. Regional education data are collected and published according to the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), a harmonised hierarchical classification of territorial units established by EUROSTAT for the production of regional statistics.
3.5. Statistical unit
Students.
3.6. Statistical population
The statistics contained in this dataset refer to education in the ordinary school and university system, as defined in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). The data cover full- and part-time-students in public and private establishments. They cover school-based general education and vocational education/training (including combined school- and work-based programmes such as dual system apprenticeship). Exclusively (initial and continuing) work-based training is not included in the statistics.
3.7. Reference area
European Union member states, candidate and EFTA countries.
3.8. Coverage - Time
From school/ academic year 1999/2000.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of students.
The reference period is the school/academic year. In the disseminated tables 2008 stands for the school/academic year 2007/2008 2009 for 2008/2009 and so on.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
A gentleman's agreement governs the collection of data.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable
8.1. Release calendar
Data are disseminated on an annual basis, normally in December.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not available.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Annual.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News releases on-line
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Eurostat Regional yearbook.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Please consult free data on-line or refer to contact details.
A Reference Guide (see Annex at the bottom of the page) on regional statistics is produced yearly with information on domain/collection/tables structure and methodological notes.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
When applicable, in the Reference Guide (see Annex at the bottom of the page)
11.1. Quality assurance
Not available.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not available.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Not available.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
Not available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not available.
13.2. Sampling error
Not available.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available.
14.1. Timeliness
Data are disseminated 1 year after the end of the reference period.
14.2. Punctuality
Not available.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
UK and DE data are collected and published at the regional level NUTS 1.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Not available.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not available.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not available.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not defined.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Not available.
18.1. Source data
The source of data is the joint UIS (UNESCO Institute of Statistics)/OECD/Eurostat (UOE) questionnaires on education statistics, which constitute the core database on education. The UOE data collection is an administrative data collection that is administered jointly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation - Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT). Data on regional enrolments are collected additionally by Eurostat.
Countries provide data on the basis of commonly agreed definitions.
Moreover, auxiliary data from statistics on demography (e.g. population) are used to calculate some of the indicators.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Data are collected through data collection tables and electronic questionnaires that are returned by countries to a unique e-mail address.
18.4. Data validation
Eurostat processes and verifies the data after their reception.
The aim of this section is to provide comparable statistics and indicators on education in the 27 Member States of the European Union, at the regional level NUTS 2. In order to facilitate comparison between countries, data from each Member State are allocated to the various education levels of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), UNESCO 1997.
23 February 2011
When making international comparisons, it is important to take into account the differences and the most recent changes in the national education and training systems, the reorganisation of the data collection on education statistics and, in particular, the revision of the international classification. Regional education data are collected and published according to the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), a harmonised hierarchical classification of territorial units established by EUROSTAT for the production of regional statistics.
Students.
The statistics contained in this dataset refer to education in the ordinary school and university system, as defined in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). The data cover full- and part-time-students in public and private establishments. They cover school-based general education and vocational education/training (including combined school- and work-based programmes such as dual system apprenticeship). Exclusively (initial and continuing) work-based training is not included in the statistics.
European Union member states, candidate and EFTA countries.
The reference period is the school/academic year. In the disseminated tables 2008 stands for the school/academic year 2007/2008 2009 for 2008/2009 and so on.
Not available.
Number of students.
Not available.
The source of data is the joint UIS (UNESCO Institute of Statistics)/OECD/Eurostat (UOE) questionnaires on education statistics, which constitute the core database on education. The UOE data collection is an administrative data collection that is administered jointly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation - Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT). Data on regional enrolments are collected additionally by Eurostat.
Countries provide data on the basis of commonly agreed definitions.
Moreover, auxiliary data from statistics on demography (e.g. population) are used to calculate some of the indicators.
Annual.
Data are disseminated 1 year after the end of the reference period.
UK and DE data are collected and published at the regional level NUTS 1.
