ABOUT US

About us

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the custodian of ISCED and is thus responsible for the development, maintenance, updating and revision of this reference classification. It also provides guidance on the effective and consistent use of ISCED for data collection and analysis.

Further responsibilities of the UIS include:

  • describing how the structure and details of the classification are used when producing and presenting statistics;
  • promoting the use of ISCED for cross-nationally comparable statistics;
  • providing guidance materials, training and technical support to countries to ensure the effective implementation and utilization of the classification throughout the world;
  • establishing monitoring mechanisms for proper feedback from ISCED users about problems in its use and
  • forming an ISCED Committee with other data collection partners to review the classification and advise on its implementation.

The UIS works closely with countries and partner data collection agencies (including Eurostat and OECD) to ensure that mappings are in accordance with the ISCED classification and updated as needed. There is a mechanism for the peer review of mappings of formal national education programmes and qualifications.

Through its publications, website and other communications tools, the UIS describes how the structure and details of the classification are used when producing and presenting statistics. The UIS produced an operational manual to facilitate the classification and mapping of national education systems to ISCED (initially on formal education programmes and qualifications) along with a document with detailed field descriptions and a questionnaire.

The UIS promotes the use of ISCED for cross-nationally comparable statistics and provides guidance materials, training and technical support to countries to ensure the effective implementation and use of the classifications throughout the world. It continues to establish monitoring mechanisms for proper feedback from ISCED users about problems in its use and has formed an ISCED Committee with other data collection partners to review the classification and advise on its implementation.

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the official and trusted source of internationally-comparable data on education, science, culture and communication. As the official statistical agency of UNESCO, the UIS produces a wide range of indicators in UNESCO’s fields of action by working with national statistical offices, line ministries and other statistical organizations. The UIS Director serves as the Organization’s chief statistician.