Estat-2002-10754-00-00-En-Tra-00 (Fr)

Estat-2002-10754-00-00-En-Tra-00 (Fr)

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Statistical Programme

of the Commission

for the year 2003

Theme 33Education

1.Work programme with foreseeable Eurostat resources

The overall approach adopted in this work programme is based on the document strategies for education and training statistics adopted by the Education and Training Working Group (ETSWG) in November 2000 and the decisions of the ETSWG in November 2001. It also takes into account the implementation of the action plan described in the report of the Eurostat Task Force on measuring lifelong learning (TFMLLL - February 2001), the CEIES recommendations following the seminar on measuring lifelong learning (Parma, June 2001) as well as the policy requests as they are expressed in the following documents and processes:

  • Synthesis report (Structural indicators)
  • Communication from the Commission ‘ Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality’ (COM (2001) 687 final).
  • Commission Staff Working Paper: Lifelong Learning Practice and Indicators (sec 2001/1939).
  • Report on ‘The concrete future objectives of education and training systems’, adopted by the Education Council Decision of 14 February 2001, based on a Commission proposal (COM (2001) final).
  • Employment guidelines and employment strategy
  • Action plan on skills and mobility
  • eLearning action plan
The main priorities for 2003 are enlargement and lifelong learning. These are translated into consolidation of existing sources, especially for candidate countries, and review of existing sources from a lifelong learning perspective to decide on the need for the collection of additional information.
For structural indicators on education and training using data coming either from the LFS (lifelong learning, early school leavers) or from the UOE data collection (Science and technology graduates, Public expenditure on education) the quality improvement will be continued through improving the transparency of definitions and intensifying cooperation with data providers. In 2003 we are going to build on the results and the experience of the Eurostat rapid data collections for comparable time series coming from UOE data in 2001 (EU countries) and 2002 (candidate countries) and consolidation exercises in the framework of the Research and Development benchmarking exercise. Particular attention will be paid to raising the awareness of providers from candidate countries on the importance of this exercise so as to continue the quality improvement of their indicators. A methodological report covering the improvement of the coverage of private expenditure on education and training will be produced covering the different possibilities available within the ESS.
Continuous support will be provided for the development of comparable indicators in the framework of the employment guidelines, especially in the areas of lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, educational outcomes, school drop-outs and transition from school to work (within the Employment Committee Indicators Group).
Indicator development on education and training will be supported in the framework of Commission groups (Expert Groups created for the follow-up of the "Objectives-report", Working Committee on Indicators for the quality of lifelong learning etc) as well as of the Technical Group of the OECD INES project (Indicators for National Education Systems). Eurostat will be represented in these groups as well as in other international meetings (INES Networks - in particular Network B- and UNESCO meetings). The development of indicators should take place in close co-ordination between the Commission services and the Commission groups involved.

Cooperation with the policy DGs leading the processes mentioned above will be continued focusing on the analysis of requirements in terms of data and indicator development for priority areas. Replies to ad hoc requests mainly coming from other Commission Services are part of this task.

Eurostat will also participate in the selection and steering of statistical projects under the Leonardo da Vinci II statistical work programme.

The ETSWG, assisting Eurostat, will be the main technical advisory body on data and indicator development.

Administrative data collection on education (UOE)

Collection, validation and analysis of data on pupils, students, teachers and educational finance in the framework of the UOE (UNESCO-OECD-Eurostat) questionnaires and in close cooperation with OECD and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

Facilitation of UOE subgroup of the ETSWG. The group will focus on the development of the EU part of the UOE questionnaires (regional level, languages and initial vocational training) and of EU relevant indicators on the basis of the information needs of European Union policy. It will also work on improving the quality of UOE data (particularly concerning general coverage and the combination of UOE data on expenditure with other relevant ESS sources).

Development of cooperation with national accounts experts, in order to improve the coverage of educational expenditure. A methodological report will be prepared on educational expenditure.

Provision of special assistance to PHARE countries for improving the quality of UOE data especially data on finance.

Improvement of the implementation of the ISCED classification and of the manual on ‘fields of education and training’ will remain an overall objective for education and training statistics. Eurostat is proposing grants within the framework of the ESS to assist countries in this work.

Continuation of the consolidation of time-series on graduates and finance data covering also the candidate countries.

Continuing Vocational Training Survey (enterprise survey)

Facilitation of the CVTS Working Group. The group will conclude the discussions and preparation of the methodological and organisational framework for future data collections on continuing vocational training. The discussions will be held in cooperation with other Commission DGs and CEDEFOP.

Discussion and preparation of a suitable legal framework for the possibility of holding a Continuing Vocational Training Survey on a regular basis.

Preparation of a next CVTS (tentatively planned for 2005, having as reference year 2004), taking into account the decisions of the CVTSWG and the resource implications for Eurostat and countries. The possibility to liase with non-European countries having similar surveys (Canada, USA etc) will be explored.

Education and training in other ESS surveys.

Analysis of data on participation in education, educational attainment and labour force characteristics with particular focus on providing data and indicators for the Synthesis Report and the Employment Strategy follow-up of lifelong learning. Information coming from the Household Budget Survey, the Structure of Earrings Statistics and other ESS sources will also be further analysed.

Facilitation of the subgroup of the ETSWG on "Education in the Labour Force Survey" (LFS-E subgroup). The group will focus on the development of the education variables and indicators from the LFS by providing a forum to discuss practical issues, bringing together employment statistics and education statistics experts. The group will also be consulted on issues related to measuring lifelong learning through household surveys.

Implementation of the latest international classification ISCED 97 in household surveys, including LFS.

Implementation of the revised core education and training LFS module in the perspective of "lifelong learning".

Continuation of the assessment of the 2000 LFS ad hoc module on ‘transition from school to work’ and further analysis of the final results.

Development of a proposal for the repetition of an ad hoc module on ‘transition from school to work’ in the LFS in the future, taking into account the revised core education and training module and the adjustments to the LFS variables.

Supporting the implementation of the 2003 LFS ad hoc module on lifelong learning.

Supporting the implementation of the core education variables in the EU-SILC

Preparation for the development of a proposal for an ad hoc module on lifelong learning for the EU-SILC.

Improvement of the coverage of spending on education and learning by companies and households in existing ESS enterprise and individual surveys.

Seminars-conferences

Organisation of the annual joint seminar on the UOE data collection with the UIS for candidate and other European countries.

Provision of training on Systems of Education Statistics in liaison with the TES Institute.

Workshop on the 2000 LFS ad hoc module on transition from school to work

Contribution to the conference on knowledge indicators to be organised by Eurostat in the beginning of 2003.

Contribution to the high level conference on lifelong learning organised by CEDEFOP under the Greek Presidency.

dissemination

  • Updating of the education (educ) and vocational training (training) domains under theme 3 in the Eurostat reference database, NewCronos.
  • Preparation of the next edition the joint Eurostat/DG Education and Culture /Eurydice publication ‘Key Data on Education’.
  • A publication in the Eurostat Social Statistics series covering data on different aspects of education from different sources (paper and electronic version) on ‘Education across Europe’.
  • Short statistical reports (Statistics in Focus) on specific issues related to education and training.
  • Further development of Eurostat Education Indicators in the World Wide Web with hyperlinks to other DGs and international organisations, making use of the existing public circa web site for "education, training and culture statistics".
  • Dissemination through Eurostat (Eurostat Yearbook, Candidate Countries, Mediterranean Countries yearbook etc) and other European Commission Publications (Social Situation Report, Synthesis Report etc).
  • Eurostat will take part in a major reference publication on lifelong learning, that will be published during the Greek presidency and will be launched at a high level conference on lifelong learning, held by Cedefop in 2003.
New work

Review of the recent methodological developments (changes in classifications and surveys and new surveys which are becoming available) with a view to the development of a European Statistical Information System (ESIS) on education, building also on the project on the development of a "System of Education and Training Accounts" (SETA). The work on the establishment of a link with the system of national accounts in the form of "Education accounts" will be continued.

Contribution to the process for the revision of NACE (operation 2007) focusing on the improvement of coverage of education services and goods in the new classification, Similar work on CPA,

Classifications on obstacles and learning activities will be developed as part of the broader methodological development work necessary for launching the EU Adult Education Survey in 2005/2006.

Implementation, in the UOE data collection methods and definitions, of the outcomes of a European Parliament project on international mobility of tertiary education students.

2.Work dependent on financing from other Commission DGs

The development of an EU adult education survey and of the necessary classifications for measuring lifelong learning need sufficient co-funding and cooperation from other Commission DGs and European Union agencies.

The launching of a new CVTS3 survey will depend on commitment by other DGs to co-finance this survey.

The development and the full exploitation of the results of the ad hoc modules for LFS require co-financing by Eurostat, the Education and Culture DG and the Employment and Social Affairs DG as well as close cooperation with CEDEFOP.

The exploration of the issue of apprentices taking into account, inter alia, recent developments in the Labour Force Survey, the VET data collection and the Labour Market Policy database.

The continuation of the VET data collection (or a similar specific tool) as well as the coverage of candidate countries in this area depends on sharing of resources with CEDEFOP and DG EAC, provided there is a policy interest for the continuation of data on initial vocational training using a specific tool. The needs for the thematic database on vocational training under development by Cedefop will also be taken into account.

The development of data collection instruments on foreign language learning depends on financing from the Education and Culture DG. A similar situation exists with the development of suitable harmonised data collections, where they do not yet exist, or modules in suitable existing instruments, in order to cover other aspects of learning like training providers, IT skills, learn to learn skills etc.

3.Work delayed due to foreseeable lack of resources

Administrative data collection on Initial Vocational Training (VET data collection): Organisation and follow-up of a workshop to discuss the revision of VET with particular emphasis on coverage, overlap with other sources, ISCED mapping, the proposed framework, content and data collection issues and dissemination.

Implementation, in this context, of the conclusions from the evaluation of the VET data collection carried out in cooperation with CEDEFOP in 2001.

4.Statistical work carried out by other Commission DGs

Statistical projects financed under the Leonardo da Vinci action programmes will be taken into account. Also development of statistical methodologies takes place in projects under the Research and development framework programmes which could contribute to the improvement of the methodologies used in the ESS,

Methodological work and stocktaking, as well as Eurobarometer surveys are carried out both for the Education and Culture and the Employment and Social Affairs DGs. Eurostat is usually involved. Cooperation with the EU agencies European Training Foundation (ETF) and European Centre for the development of vocational training (CEDEFOP) is continuous, focusing on their respective areas of interest within the ESS.

Eurostat R-21Progr2003/EN

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