Global Education Digest 2012 - International Reading Association

DEFINITIONS
Educational institutions (public and private). Educational institutions are defined as entities that provide
instructional or education-related services to individuals and other educational institutions. Whether or not
an entity qualifies as an educational institution is not contingent upon which public authority (if any) has
responsibility for it. These are classified as either public or private according to whether a public agency or
private entity has the ultimate power to make decisions concerning the institution’s affairs.
An institution is classified as public if it is controlled and managed directly by a public education authority or
agency; or controlled and managed either by a government agency directly or by a governing body (council,
committee, etc.), most of whose members are either appointed by a public authority or elected by public
franchise.
An institution is classified as private if it is controlled and managed by a non-governmental organization (e.g. a
church, trade union or business enterprise), or if its governing board consists mostly of members not selected by
a public agency. In general, the ultimate management control over an institution rests with who has the power to
determine the general activity of the school and appoint the managing officers. The extent to which an institution
receives its funding from public or private sources does not determine the classification status of the institution.
A distinction is made between government-dependent and independent private institutions on the
basis of the degree of a private institution’s dependence on funding from government sources. A
government-dependent private institution receives at least 50% of its core funding from government agencies.
An independent private institution receives less than 50% of its core funding from government agencies. Core
funding refers to the funds that support the basic educational services of the institution. It does not include
funds provided specifically for research projects, payments for services purchased or contracted by private
organizations, or fees and subsidies received for ancillary services such as lodging and meals. Additionally,
institutions should be classified as government-dependent if their teaching staff are paid by a government
agency, either directly or indirectly.
Enrolment. The number of pupils or students officially enrolled in a given grade or level of education, regardless
of age.
Entrance age (theoretical). The age at which pupils or students would enter a given programme or level
of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time
throughout, and progress through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance
age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.
Expected gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary. Total number of new entrants to the first grade of
primary education in a given year, regardless of age, who are expected to reach the last grade, regardless of
repetition, expressed as a percentage of the population at the theoretical entrance age to primary education
in the same year. It is calculated by multiplying the gross intake ratio to primary education by the probability of
survival to the last grade. It estimates future gross intake to the last grade of primary education based on current
new entrants to the first grade, assuming current grade transition and repetition rates remain unchanged. It
therefore predicts the effect on last grade intake of current education policies on entrance to primary education
and future years of schooling.
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