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Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.UNESCO is a major collector and disseminator of statistical data on education and related subjects. Its statistical activities are aimed at providing relevant, reliable and current information for development and policy-making purposes, both at the national and international levels, and the production of reliable statistical indicators for education. These indicators cover four main areas: educational population; access and participation; the efficiency and effectiveness of education; human and financial resources. The <i>UNESCO Education Database</i> covers a wide range of these areas, at four main educational levels: pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary, in accordance with the <i>International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)</i> system. This system provides standard definitions for each of the four levels of education examined. UNESCO collects and collates education data according to these definitions from approximately 200 countries, and compiles them into the <i>Education Database</i> time series, which is published annually.Main Topics:`Tertiary' education is defined by UNESCO as education above secondary (school) level, and is referred to as `third' level education, according to <i>ISCED</i> (<i>International Standard Classification of Education</i>). Education at this <i>ISCED</i> level includes both further and higher education, and generally takes place at institutions other than schools. These educational institutions are classified in three categories: universities and equivalent degree granting institutions, `distance learning' universities (similar to the <i>Open University</i> in the United Kingdom), and other third level educational institutes. Topics covered in this data collection include: numbers of students and teachers, students' field of study (subject group),...