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 in response to UIS questionnaires.
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.
While enrolment data offer an easy way of comparing the number
of boys and girls enrolled in schools, these statistics do not
reflect differences between boys and girls in rates of absenteeism,
repetition and dropping out.
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