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Sources:

Net enrolment ratio in primary education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, table 5: Enrolment ratios by ISCED level, available from UIS website, http://www.uis.unesco.org (accessed June 2011).

Girls’ share of primary enrolment
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, table 3B: Enrolment by ISCED level, available from UIS website, http://www.uis.unesco.org (accessed June 2011).

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Technical notes:

Statistics on enrolment are compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS) from data provided by national Governments.

The 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 97) defines primary education as programmes that are normally designed on a unit or project basis to give students a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics along with an elementary understanding of other subjects such as history, geography, natural science, social science, art and music. The customary or legal age of entrance to this level of education ranges between ages 5 to 7 years, and is the start of compulsory education where it exists. This level covers in principle six years of full-time schooling.

The primary-level net enrolment ratio (NER) is the number of boys and girls of primary-school age that are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group. It shows the extent of participation in primary education of children belonging to the official age group corresponding to primary education in the given country. A high primary NER denotes a high degree of participation of primary school-age children in primary education. The theoretical maximum value is 100%. If the primary NER is below 100%, then the complement, i.e. the difference with 100%, provides a measure of the proportion of children not enrolled at the specified level of education. However, since some of these children could be enrolled at levels of education other than primary level, this difference should in no way be considered as indicating the percentage of primary school-age children not enrolled.

The girls’ share of primary enrolment refers to the percentage of students enrolled in primary education who are female. This indicator helps assess gender disparity with regard to participation in primary education. When the indicator approaches 50% it reflects a good level of gender parity.

While enrolment data by sex offer an easy way of comparing the extent to which boys and girls are enrolled in schools, these statistics do not reflect differences between boys and girls in rates of school attendance or absenteeism, repetition and dropping out.