The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) updates its database three times a year as new data from Member States become available through the annual surveys.

For the data refresh taking place on 3 March 2021, the UIS is updating economic data on education expenditure, as well as indicators on literacy and educational achievement as follows:

Indicators refined:

  • 4.5.2 Percentage of students in primary and lower secondary education who have their first or home language as language of instruction
  • 4.a.2 Percentage of students experiencing bullying in the last 12 months

Datasets updated:

  • 4.1.1 Proportion of children and young people (a) in Grade 2 or 3; (b) at the end of primary education; and (c) at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
  • 4.1.6 Administration of a nationally-representative learning assessment (a) in Grade 2 or 3; (b) at the end of primary education; and (c) at the end of lower secondary education
  • 4.2.1 Proportion of children aged 24-59 months of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
  • 4.2.3 Percentage of children under 5 years experiencing positive and stimulating home learning environments
  • 4.4.1 Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
  • 4.6.1 Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
  • 4.7.4 Percentage of students in lower secondary education showing adequate understanding of issues relating to global citizenship and sustainability
  • 4.7.5 Percentage of students in lower secondary education showing proficiency in knowledge of environmental science and geoscience

In addition, the UIS has added three new indicators to its database that will help data users and government policymakers get a fuller picture of where they stand in regards to meeting SDG 4 objectives.

The new indicators are:

  • 4.5.3 Extent to which explicit formula-based policies reallocate education resources to disadvantaged population
  • 4.c.5 Average teacher salary relative to other professions requiring a comparable level of qualification
  • 4.c.7 Percentage of teachers who received in-service training in the last 12 months by type of training

A fourth SDG indicator, 4.1.0, which will measure the proportion of children/young people prepared for the future, by sex, is scheduled to be released shortly. This “prepared for the future” indicator merges Indicators 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 to look at whether or not children are both completing school and meeting minimum proficiency levels in literacy and mathematics.

These data releases will be followed by an update on the Learning Poverty indicator (which the UIS co-owns with the World Bank). Please read a recent UIS/World Bank blog for more information on how this indicator can help measure learning losses associated with COVID-19.

In addition, TIMSS 2019, PASEC 2019 and SEA-PLM will be updating various indicators shortly.

The next UIS data release dates are 23 June for Science, Culture and Communications and 22 September for Education.

 

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