1. Education and Training Statistics Working Group – 17 June 2019
Item 8 Early childhood education (ISCED level 0) in UOE data collection
Eurostat F5 Education, health and social protection
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – 17 June 2019

2. 1. Background
Early Childhood Education (ECE) statistics measure aspects of the first stage of education in a country’s overall education system.
ECE 2020 benchmark aims to promote ‘later educational success, especially in the case of those from disadvantaged backgrounds’.
Future indicators: discussions on ECE for the youngest children (under the age of 3 years old /0-2 years old).

3. 2. Methodological background
2.1 Early childhood education in international standard classification, ISCED 2011
‘Educational’ programme definition
‘Early Childhood Education’ (ISCED level 0) programme description
Main Criteria: ISCED level 0
Educational properties
Institutionalised
Sustained intensity of 2 hours per day, 100 days per year (assured by minimum attendance requirements/ excluding short programmes)
Subsidiary Criteria: ISCED level 0
Pedagogical qualifications for staff
Regulatory framework
Typically not part of compulsory education

4. 2. Methodological background
2.2 Difference between ISCED 01 and ISCED 02
ISCED 01 ‘Early Childhood Educational Development’
Educational content designed for younger children, usually 0-2 years old.
Language acquisition
Exercising coordination and motor skills
Introduced in ISCED 2011
ISCED 02 ‘Pre-primary Education'
Educational content designed for children aged 3+
Improving use of language
Social skills
Logical and reasoning skills
Alphabetical and mathematical concepts
Exists since ISCED 1997

5. 2. Methodological background
2.3 Differences between ECE and ‘Formal’ childcare
Early Childhood Education in UOE
Formal care in EU-SILC
ECE = an educational programme according to international criteria in ISCED 2011.
Programmes are only measured if they assure enrolled children receive at least 2 hours per day of educational instruction, 100 days per year. Where attendance is optional, on a short term basis, or where there is no minim level of attendance, programmes are excluded.
Measures progress towards ET2020 benchmark on early years education.
Formal care = an external body sets rules for provision (preschool, compulsory school, services outside school hours organised by school, qualified childminders).
Respondents report the number of hours per week during a ‘typical week’ that a child attends a formal arrangement. There is no guarantee that children will receive intentional educational instruction during those hours, even if they are in a preschool. It is difficult to measure whether attendance is sustained over a period of time with information on a ‘typical week’; short-term programmes may seem typical at the time of the questionnaire, and respondents are sometimes asked about the previous week only.
Measures progress towards Barcelona benchmark on childcare.

6. 3. Implementation in data collection
3.1 Data requirements in UOE data collection, from Commission Regulation 912/2013:
Enrolments
Number of enrolled students by type of institution (public, private), intensity of participation (full-time, part-time, full-time equivalent) and sex; by sex and age; by NUTS2 regions and sex.
Personnel
Number of classroom teachers by sex and age group; by type of institutions (public, private), employment status (full-time, part time, full-time equivalent) and sex.
Number of enrolments adjusted to data on educational personnel.
Education expenditure
Expenditure by source and type of transaction; by nature and resource category.
Number of enrolments adjusted to statistics on education expenditure.
All data requested at the 2-digit level i.e. for categories ISCED 01 and ISCED 02. Transmission of data for ISCED 01 is optional.

7. 3. Implementation in data collection
3.2 Data reporting by country - for ISCED 01
Programmes exist but data not collected: BE, IT, PT
ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 not reported separately: EE
Report that ISCED 01 programmes do not exist: BG, CZ, IE, FR, LU, MT, NL, PL, SK
Table 1: EU Member States that submit data for ISCED 01 programmes, looking at each year since 2013 when the ISCED01 category was introduced (educ_uoe_enrp01)
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Denmark ✔
Germany
Greece
Spain
Croatia
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Hungary
Austria
Romania
Slovenia
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom

8. 3. Implementation in data collection
3.3 Statistics on Early childhood education
In EU28: 15.4m in ISCED 02, 2.3m in ISCED 01
In countries with ISCED 01: 7.9m in ISCED 02, 2.3m in ISCED 01

9. 3. Implementation of data collection
3.4.1 Categorising ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 for integrated programmes which span two sub-categories of ISCED 0:
Estimation may be required for expenditures and personnel at categories 01 and 02 respectively.
Programmes subdivided into years, stages or cycles
No subdivision of programmes
Distinction based on educational properties of the year, stage or cycle.
Distinction based on age: below the age of 3 in ISCED 01; 3+ in ISCED 02

10. 3. Implementation in data collection
3.4.2 Categorising ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 where children below the age of 3 attend ISCED 02 programmes:
There needs to be assurance that 2 years olds are receiving educational content at the ISCED 02 level.
An explanation in the ISCED mapping would be helpful if there is a significant group of 2 year olds attending pre-primary programmes.
Table 2: Percentages of 2 year olds in ISCED 02 for countries that do not have ISCED 01 programmes
Member State with no ISCED 01 programme
2 year olds in ISCED 02 as % of total ISCED 02 population
2 year olds in ISCED 02 as a % of total 2 year old population
Bulgaria
3,8%
12,7%
Czechia
5,3%
17,4%
Ireland
7,5%
14,9%
France
12,4%
Luxembourg
1,4%
Malta
9,0%
18,7%
Poland
2,0%
7,1%
Slovakia
5,1%

11. 4. Use of data: indicators and publications
4.1 Eurostat indicators on Early Childhood Education
Database
4+ to measure progress towards 2020 benchmark - number of pupils aged between the age of 4 and the starting age of compulsory primary education, by sex and as a percentage of the population of the corresponding age group. See Table ETS-05
3+ published last year – see Table ETS-05
Under the age of 3 years old calculation (0-2 years old) made but not published – see Table ETS-05, and extract below.
Statistics Explained
Number of male teachers compared with number of female teachers across countries for ISCED 01, ISCED 02 and ISCED level 1 - (see Table 6, 2019-ETS-05)
Pupil-teacher ratios compared across countries for ISCED 01, ISCED 02 and ISCED level 1 - (see Table 7, 2019-ETS-05)
Table 5: Number of 0-2s (total 2 year olds + all under 2s) in ISCED 0 programmes as a % of the population of the corresponding age group,
2015
2016
2017
EU available countries
16%
17%

12. 4. Use of data: indicators and publications
4.2. Correct term for UOE data on Early childhood education:
UOE data not a good measure of formal care arrangements
UOE is the only collection that focuses on education for early ages in line with ISCED
Therefore, UOE data should be referred to as Early Childhood Education (ECE) and not Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

13. 4. Use of data: indicators and publications
4.3 Education and Training Monitor (ETM) and Education at a Glance (EAG):
Assess Early Childhood Education and Care systems (ECEC) as a whole.
Recognise that UOE data do not measure ECEC systems as a whole, unlike EU-SILC for example.
The ETS WG are invited to consider how UOE data could be used to its best advantage, as a measure of Early Childhood Education (ECE) programmes which meet certain minimum quality standards.

14. The ETS Working Group is invited to take note of:
The main and subsidiary criteria for classifying programmes measured in the UOE data collection, how ISCED 01 programmes differ from ISCED 02, and how ISCED programmes differ from other formal programmes for children.
The ISCED 2011 rules for reporting integrated programmes, and that where 2 year olds are attending pre-primary (ISCED 02) programmes, this is explained in a country’s ISCED mapping.
The regulatory requirements for data submission.
The ETS Working Group members are invited to inform Eurostat:
About future country plans for early childhood educational development (ISCED 01) programmes: Will they be introduced where they don’t exist? Are there plans for data collection where it is missing?
If members agree that the term ‘early childhood education’ and not ‘early childhood education and care’ should be used when UOE data are discussed and used as indicators.