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 tertiary education as education programmes at ISCED
levels 5 and 6. Education at ISCED level 5 includes programmes
that are theoretically based or research preparatory (history,
philosophy, mathematics, etc.) or giving access to professions
with high skills requirements (e.g., medicine, dentistry, architecture,
etc.), and those programmes that are practical, technical or occupationally
specific. Level 6 are tertiary programmes that lead to the award
of an advanced research qualification. The programmes are therefore
devoted to advanced study and original research and are not based
on course-work only.
The tertiary gross enrolment ratio is defined as enrolment at
third level, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the
population in the theoretical school age group corresponding to
this level of education. For the tertiary level, the population
is the five-year age group following on from the secondary-school
leaving age. The tertiary gross enrolment ratio is used to show
the general level of participation in this level of education.
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