Percentage of enrolment in private institutions by level of education

Definition

Enrolment in private educational institutions at a given level of education expressed as a percentage of total enrolment at the same level.

Data source

Schools census.

Source definition

UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Calculation method

Number of pupils (or students) enrolled in private educational institutions in a given level of education expressed as percentage of the total enrolment (public and private) at the same level of education.

Data required

Enrolment by level of education and by type of institution (public, private).

Interpretation

A high percentage indicates strong involvement of the non-governmental sector (including religious bodies, associations, communities, private enterprises or persons) in providing organized educational programmes.

Limitations

In countries where private institutions are substantially subsidized or aided by the government, the distinction between private and public educational institutions may be less clear-cut especially when certain pupils (or students) are directly financed through government scholarships. The fact that some religious or private schools are not registered with the government nor follow the common national curriculum may also result in them not being included in official statistics, hence preventing a realistic assessment of the share of enrolment in private education.

Purpose

To measure the relative weight of private education in terms of enrolment, hence the scale and capacity of private education within a country.

Quality standards

This indicator should be based on complete and reliable data on enrolment in each of the different types of educational institutions, applying consistent definitions and criteria to distinguish between public and private educational institutions. 'Private' refers to all educational institutions not operated by a public authority, regardless of whether they receive financial support from such authorities.

The UIS sets standards, develops questionnaires and quality control protocols for country data reporting, and maintains the global database on the structure of education, and enrolment data by types of institution.

Types of disaggregation

By sex and level of education.