1246.0 - Education Variables, 2002

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/12/2002

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Contents >> Level of Highest Educational Attainment >> Underlying Concepts

NAME OF THE VARIABLE

4. The name of the variable is 'Level of highest educational attainment'.

5. This variable has been developed as an indicator of educational attainment which encompasses the highest of both school and non-school education. Prior to the introduction of the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat. no. 1272.0) it was not possible to produce a single measure because the classification in use (the ABS Classification of Qualifications) (ABSCQ) was restricted in scope to post school qualifications only. The ASCED is broader in scope than the ABSCQ and includes both school and non-school education. It replaced the ABSCQ in 2001.

DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLE

Nominal definition

6. The variable 'Level of highest educational attainment' is defined as:

The level of the highest educational attainment that a person has achieved in any field of study or educational institution.

7. 'Level of highest educational attainment' is an attribute of the counting unit Person.

Operational definition

8. Operationally, 'Level of highest educational attainment' is defined as the level of the highest completed qualification reported for a person in any field of study, or the highest year of school completed, whichever is the higher. It is obtained by derivation from the responses to questions on the 'Level of highest non-school qualification' and on the 'Highest year of school completed'. In most circumstances the result obtained is dependent on respondent perception of what their 'highest' non-school qualification is; alternatively it may be derived if information is collected on multiple qualifications held by the respondent.

9. For reasons of practicality, partial completion of or current participation in a course of study leading to a qualification is excluded from 'Level of highest non-school qualification'. Statements of attainment awarded for partial completion of a course of study at a particular level are excluded. Because 'Level of highest educational attainment' is derived from whichever of 'Level of highest non-school qualification' or 'Highest year of school completed' is deemed the highest, it is therefore defined operationally only in terms of completed study.

Scope of the variable

10. The variable 'Level of highest educational attainment' applies to all persons.

SUPPORTING VARIABLES

11. 'Level of highest educational attainment' requires the supporting variables 'Level of highest non-school qualification' and 'Highest year of school completed'. Usually, establishing 'Level of highest non-school qualification' in turn requires 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' and 'Year non-school qualification completed'.

DISCUSSION OF CONCEPTUAL ISSUES

12. The ASCED is used when collecting, aggregating and disseminating data relating to the variable 'Level of highest educational attainment'. To provide optimum compatibility with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), ASCED Levels of Education include Years of school completed as well as qualifications.

13. For the purposes of this variable 'school study' means primary and secondary education, regardless of the location or institution where it is undertaken, and so 'non-school education' does not include secondary education undertaken for example as a mature-age student at a TAFE. Similarly, 'non-school education' includes non-school qualifications completed by school students, e.g. Certificate I, regardless of the location or institution at which the student is undertaking either the school or non-school study.

14. To derive 'Level of highest educational attainment' three variables are required: 'Highest year of school completed', 'Level of highest non-school qualification' and 'Year non-school qualification completed'. Collection of the variable 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' is also recommended as it can be used to improve the coding accuracy of the qualification 'level'. The variable 'Level of highest educational attainment' is obtained by comparing the highest year of school completed with the highest non-school qualification to determine which is the highest; the order of the ASCED Level of Education Classification generally determines which attainment will be considered higher, but in some cases a clear ordinality does not exist and decision rules are applied. The method by which the higher ranking is determined is explained in the Derivation Procedures section.