Australian Standard Classification of Education
CONTACT
Population Statistics Standards
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
Telephone (02) 6252 7626
DESCRIPTION
The publication Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (ABS cat. no. 1272.0), provides details of the conceptual basis of ASCED, the structure of the classification, definitions for all categories of level and field, and concordances with other education classifications.
ASCED is a statistical classification for the storage, exchange and dissemination of statistical and administrative data on educational activity in Australia. It replaces a number of education classifications, including the ABS Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ) used prior to 2001. ASCED is used in data collections conducted by the Department of Education, Science and Training, and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.
ASCED comprises two component classifications, Level of Education and Field of Education. In designing ASCED, the primary consideration was the need for a classification significantly broader in scope than the ABSCQ, and which catered for the requirements of all sectors of the Australian education system. The ABS also designed ASCED to be as consistent as possible with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), published in 1997 by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. ISCED facilitates comparisons of education statistics and indicators within and between countries.
ASCED will be maintained by the ABS, and revised periodically to reflect changes in levels and fields of education offered by Australian educational institutions and registered training providers.
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