Gross early childhood education enrolment ratio in (a) pre-primary education and (b) early childhood educational development

Definition

SDG Indicator 4.2.4: Total enrolment in (a) pre-primary education and (b) early childhood educational development regardless of age expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for the respective level of education.

Data source

Administrative data from schools or household survey data on enrolment; population censuses and surveys for population estimates by single year of age (if using administrative data on enrolment); administrative data from ministries of education on the structure (entrance age and duration) of early childhood education.

Source definition

UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Calculation method

The number of students enrolled in the given category of early childhood education is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for the respective level of education.

Data required

Enrolment in pre-primary education and early childhood educational development; population estimates by single year of age (if using administrative data) and data on the structure (entrance age and duration) of early childhood education.

Interpretation

A high value generally indicates a high degree of participation, whether the pupils belong to the official age group or not. A value approaching or exceeding 100% indicates that a country is, in principle, able to accommodate all of its early childhood education-age population, but it does not indicate the proportion already enrolled. The achievement of a gross enrolment ratio of 100% is therefore a necessary but not sufficient condition for enrolling all eligible children in early childhood education.

Limitations

The gross enrolment ratio can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged or under-aged pupils because of early or late entrance.

Purpose

To show separately the general level of participation in the two categories of early childhood education: pre-primary education and early childhood educational development. The values indicate the capacity of the education system to enrol children of early childhood education age.

Quality standards

The indicator at each level of education should be based on total enrolment in all types of education institutions, including public, private and all other institutions that provide organized educational programmes.

Types of disaggregation

By sex from administrative sources; and by sex, location and income from household surveys and others as available.