1. ETS Working Group: 30 January – February 1, 2006 Conclusions/action points
Education data collections 2005: status and data delivery report :
Please submit data as soon as possible.
But: data as clean as possible (limitations of number of revisions).
Remember data on ISCED mapping of qualifications
Eurostat aims at releasing data on the website in April.

2. Conclusions/action points
4.1 Review of the first results from the UOE 2005 revision
Please send in comments before 1 March on:
The measurement and reporting of
new entrants to levels of education
new entrants to fields
graduates and graduations
The significance of the one semester distinction
The need for further clarifications and development work on the new definitions and concepts
The continuation of the pilot collection on ISCED 5A graduations according to the Bachelor – Master structure was approved (part of regular annual collection) and inclusion also of ISCED 5B should be considered.

3. Conclusions/action points
4.2 Proposals for the reporting of data on students, personnel and expenditure in pre-primary education
Need for clarifying definition on full and part time (75% threshold)
Need for investigating the use of 3 years old age limit
Please send in further comments before 1 March
Follow-up: OECD/UIS/Eurostat will make proposals based on your comments and include them in the UOU-manual for 2006

4. Conclusions/action points
5 Mobility – review of the results of the 2005 data collection and proposals for the UOE 2006 data collection
Agreement on
the importance of the topic and the shared commitment for countries and Eurostat
UOE is the right place for collecting the data
‘Country of prior education’ is the best proxy for mobility
New data collection systems must be established to move to this proxy
It is urgent. Data from all countries in UOE2008 is the aim, if not for all levels and from census surveys: by estimates, not all types/levels of tertiary education
However, follow this up with UIS/OECD; but MSs have committed themselves on this.
Comments by 1 March on:
Proposed timetable and alternative ways for the country to fulfil this request
What can Eurostat do to help? Need for legal act – resources at MS level?

5. Conclusions/action points
6 UOE 2005 ad hoc module on survival rates and duration of tertiary studies – presentation of the first results
Difficult to get good results if situation is not stable (number of entrants and graduates).
If countries have national information on duration and survival rates by using other methodologies, please send this information to validate results
If the data collection tables are not yet submitted, please send asap.
The Ad-hoc module will be repeated in two-three years time, if possible with improvement of methodology

6. Conclusions/action points
7 Finance data and indicators
7.1 List of educational goods and services.
Option on list 2 and specify implementation in the existing UOE financial framework to be discussed further in June 2006 ETS WG.
7.2 Presentation on French satellite accounts on education. made by French Ministry of Education. To be followed up in June 2006 WG.
7.3 Financial aid to students: reminder on importance of tax reductions/benefits. Germany volunteered to present something on the topic for June 2006 WG
OECD and Eurydice plans presented (overlapping work to be avoided). Eurostat will follow OECD exercise for potential inclusion of non-OECD countries.

7. Conclusions/action points
8 UOE 2006 ad hoc module, trend data collections and revision policy
Justification: need stable indicators (time series) for measuring progress on Lisbon activities. Therefore revision policy.
Option 1: systematic revisions - coherent outcome. But burdensome.
Option 2: partial revisions of most important indicators – less burdensome but risk of incoherence.
Conclusion: review this in Eurostat Task Force on multiannual approach and give feedback on this in June 2006 ETS WG.

8. Conclusions/action points
Key Data on Education, thematic reports and implications for data collection
Co-operation between Eurydice and Eurostat on 2 publications:
- higher education (to be published beginning 2007)
- 2nd edition on teaching of languages (to be published during 2007)
Eurostat will provide in-put on participation, mobility, finance, graduates and academic staff.

9. Conclusions/action points
10 A multi annual strategy for assessment and improvement of the quality of UOE
Objective: To assess and improve the quality of the UOE data collection.
Deliverables: report detailing out the multi-annual approach. To be delivered to the ETS WG and discussed in June 2006.
Time table:
Comments by ETS WG delegates by 15/2.
1st meeting, week 12 (20-24 March)
2nd meeting, week 19 (8-12 May)
Report, end May
Discussion and approval at ETS WG June
TF members at meeting: DNK, DEU, FRA, PRT, UNK. Any New Member States volunteering.

10. Conclusions/action points
11 Information by policy users
Commission services from DG EAC, DG EMPL, DG ECFIN, DG RTD, CRELL (JRC), CEDEFOP and ‘European Agency for Specific needs’.
Presentation of their policy requests in light of the renewed Lisbon strategy 2010.
Specific request from DG RTD on detailed (3 digit level) for field of education information for certain areas.
Positive reception from MSs (to be followed up by Eurostat, in co-operation with UIS and possibly OECD).

11. Conclusions/action points
13 Development of the European Framework on Qualifications
DG EAC activity and presentation by DG EAC.
Reaction from countries showed insatisfaction of not being consulted on this exercise and doubts regarding the sustainability of the exercise.
Eurostat will try to follow this exercise but not sure of what will be coming.

12. Conclusions/action points
14 Register on Educational institutions
More clarifications are needed on:
The need for additional data
The structure of the Business Register and its role and link to school registers.
2 countries volunteered for the Task Force: France and Hungary (common work with team working on Business Registers).

13. Conclusions/action points
15 Education in the Labour Force Survey
Task Force: LFS ad-hoc module 2009: entry of young people into the labour market (ad-hoc module 2000 transition from school to work: experience not always good). First meeting of Task Force in May 2006.
Task Force members: CH, CEDEFOP, IT, FR, BE, DE, HU
Eurostat website has been rearranged regarding education information: link to information on educational attainment level will be provided.
Problem of coherence of ‘early school leavers’ data. Try to get coherent data from 2003.

14. Conclusions/action points
21 Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS), progress report
Very tight timetable but now good experience. We should have more comparable quality reports; should keep present release policy eg. quick SIF and Website; Promote use for researchers.
Data checking rules to be checked.

15. Conclusions/action points
22 Adult Education Survey (AES), progress report
Please give feed-back on manual (code book – checking rules) to Eurostat.
Task Force members: FIN, FRA, LTH, CYP, SWE, Croatia, (ROM), (DEU), (ESP), (NLD).
Eurostat expects micro-data but no legal act to support this.
National strategies for promoting the AES results
Presentations by Sweden and the United Kingdom.

16. Conclusions/action points
Agenda points: 1, 2, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25
Mainly for your information. Please refer to forthcoming minutes of the meeting.