AGGREGATE DATA INSTRUCTIONS
The 2012 aggregate data request template is provided in a continuous flat-file Excel spread-sheet format. The spread-sheet includes a sheet titled "Metadata dictionary" which contains a complete listing of the 2012 data elements requested in the 2012 National ECEC collection.
NEW GEOGRAPHY STANDARD
With the implementation of the new Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) from 1 July 2011, an additional column is included in the data template for the ASGS geographical area Mesh Block (MB), for both child and service provider. The ASGS Mesh Block classification is not included in the 2012 ECEC NMDS and is an additional requested data element. For information to assist with the move from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) to the ASGS refer to the ABS website at <www.abs.gov.au/geography> or email the ABS at <education.statistics@abs.gov.au>.
NEW DATA ELEMEMENTS INCLUDED IN THE ECEC NMDS
One new data element has been included in the Aggregate ECEC NMDS for 2012, which is:
Service provider organisation:
Government funding type was included for testing in the 2011 ABS data request as an additional item. This data item has since been refined for the 2012 collection and included in the endorsed National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) for ECEC, with the aim of utilising the ABS 2012 National ECEC Collection for Productivity Commission reporting of preschool information within RoGS, dependent on the outcomes on the investigations of the CSWG sub-group, and its recommendations to the RoGS steering committee.
Together with existing data elements, the new elements are described in the 'metadata dictionary' sheet within the aggregate data request template. More detailed descriptions are provided in
Chapter 2, Data Element Collection Instructions, and the 2012 aggregate ECEC NMDS.
ADDITIONAL REQUESTED DATA ELEMENTS
Geographic location of organisation (Meshblock code, 2011 ASGS)
To align with the new geography standard, the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) is progressively being implemented from July 2011. The ABS requests that Meshblock be provided, in addition to Statistical Area level 1 (SA1) and Collection District (CD), for the Service provider organisation. The collection of these geography standards will allow comparability of 2011 and 2012 data to future year’s collections.
OTHER CHANGES TO ECEC NMDS DATA ELEMENTS
Care should be taken to ensure aggregate counts are supplied in the correct classification field. New categories and changes to categories have occurred in the 2012 ECEC NMDS. Where applicable, the ABS has incorporated the changes into the 2012 Aggregate data template. For more information on these changes and other definitional or wording changes, see
Appendix 1: Overview of Changes to the ECEC NMDS.
EPISODE COUNTS
Enrolment and attendance episode counts are required to be disaggregated by
Indigenous status and
Age. Amalgamated counts of children by age and Indigenous status codes 1 to 9 inclusive will be output as 'Total Episodes'. Ages of children must reflect a single year of age, in completed years, as at 1 July 2012. If data are collected over a 2 week (or longer) reference period, jurisdictions must derive data to a representative week. Refer to
Chapter 2, Data Element Collection Instructions, for further information on the collection and reporting of aggregate data.
AGGREGATE DATA REQUEST
Statistical entity: Service provider organisation
- Suburb/town/locality name
- Australian state/territory identifier
- Geographic location - ASGC 2011 (Collection District)
- Statistical Area level 1 (SA1)
- Geographic location - ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) (additional data element)
- Maximum preschool program hours available
- Preschool program service operation weeks
- Weekly tuition fee schedule amount
- Number of Indigenous children enrolled in a preschool program
- Number of preschool program enrolments
- Number of Indigenous children attending a preschool program
- Number of children attending a preschool program
- Number of preschool program hours enrolled
- Total hours of preschool program attended
Statistical entity: Child
The following 2 classifications are sought in conjunction with
Number of preschool program enrolments and
Number of children attending a preschool program, to produce the 32 combinations of child episodes listed further below.
Episodes of enrolment (Aggregate)
- Enrolled: Indigenous 3 yo children
- Enrolled: Non-indigenous 3 yo children
- Enrolled: Not stated Indigenous status , 3 yo children
- Enrolled: Total 3 yo children
- Enrolled: Indigenous 4 yo children
- Enrolled: Non-indigenous 4 yo children
- Enrolled: Not stated Indigenous status , 4 yo children
- Enrolled: Total 4 yo children
- Enrolled: Indigenous 5 yo children
- Enrolled: Non-indigenous 5 yo children
- Enrolled: Not stated Indigenous status , 5 yo children
- Enrolled: Total 5 yo children
- Enrolled: Indigenous 6 yo children
- Enrolled: Non-indigenous 6 yo children
- Enrolled: Not stated Indigenous status , 6 yo children
- Enrolled: Total 6 yo children
Episodes of attendance (Aggregate)
- Attending: Indigenous 3 yo children
- Attending: Non-indigenous 3 yo children
- Attending: Not stated Indigenous status , 3 yo children
- Attending: Total 3 yo children
- Attending: Indigenous 4 yo children
- Attending: Non-indigenous 4 yo children
- Attending: Not stated Indigenous status , 4 yo children
- Attending: Total 4 yo children
- Attending: Indigenous 5 yo children
- Attending: Non-indigenous 5 yo children
- Attending: Not stated Indigenous status , 5 yo children
- Attending: Total 5 yo children
- Attending: Indigenous 6 yo children
- Attending: Non-indigenous 6 yo children
- Attending: Not stated Indigenous status , 6 yo children
- Attending: Total 6 yo children
Refer to
Chapter 2, Data Element Collection Instructions, for further information on the collection and reporting of aggregate data.