2. Production of the data collection
All individually based statistics on education – from completed lower secondary education to tertiary education – are gathered in The National Education Database (NUDB). The main purpose of the database has been to establish a statistical system, which provides new possibilities to analyse and compare data over time in a much more consistent and comprehensive manner. In particular, the database is designed to better analyze the flow of pupils and students through the educational system.
NUDB includes individually based statistics on education since 1970. All information on education has previously been gathered in annual files. The most important of the annual files are the situation file with registered students (enrolments) by October 1, the completed education file (graduates) from the previous school-/academic year and a file containing the population's highest attained level of education. Several other registers are used for different purposes.
In order to improve comparability over time, a thoroughly revision of all source files, registers and classification variables has been made. Information about Norwegian students abroad has been added from 1986 onward. The database also includes demographical information.
The starting point for the creation of an event-history database – NUDB – is the source registers for official statistics. Within education the three files mentioned above (enrolments, graduates and attainment) are arranged for the purpose of making them comparable over time. New data are merged with old data and classification variables are compared one by one. All changes for each classification variable is assigned with dates and coded as gains or loss records by a set of predefined rules. Only new information is interesting in the database. Each course, discipline or education that a person starts is registered with start and end dates.
Several predefined variables are integrated in NUDB to better extract indicators on the throughput of students. Two types of variables exist: Variables to be set once, and unable to change over time (e.g. Year when first time registered in upper secondary and tertiary education, year when first time graduate from compulsory, upper secondary and different stages of tertiary education and number of semesters in education before a first-time completion of a level) and variables based on gains, changes and losses (=event-history variables) in the individual's period of education (e.g. Number of semesters in education at any level and number of semesters within a specific program, to determine whether the completed degree is within a normal timeframe. Some educational programs are very modular and cannot be defined as beyond or within a normal timeframe).
NUDB is consisting of different files. Some are defined as course files where educational activities are organized by start and ending dates – others are not. Variable names (labels) and definitions are available in Norwegian only.
Actuality:
Annual update
Please contact: Division for Education statistics, Statistics Norway
Individually Based Education Statistics. 2005
Den individbaserte utdanningsstatistikken. Dokumentasjon 2000 (in Norwegian only)
New classification of educational attainment (Oct. 2006)
Norwegian Standard Classification of Education. Revised 2000
Please contact: torill.vangen@ssb.no, telephone +47 62 88 52 80.