About the statistics

1. Administrative information

1.1. Name

Education statistics. Folk high schools, long courses.

1.2. Subject group

04.02.50 Adult education and other tuition.

1.3. Frequency and timeliness

Yearly

1.4. Regional level

The statistics are published on national and county level. Statistics for municipality level can be ordered.

1.5. Responsible division

Division for Education statistics (360).

1.6. Legal authority

Sections 2-2

1.7. Legal document (EU)

1.8. International reporting

2. Background and purpose

2.1. Purpose and history

The purpose of these statistics is to show different sides on education by folk high schools. Theese statistics aim to show the extent of courses regarding the participant's gender, age, county of residence, citizenship and other individual characteristics, together with education for special needs groups.

Prior to 2001, folk high schools based their reporting on forms with pupils on main course and pupils who completed or interrupted their main course. This report was a part of statistics on upper secondary education. As of 2001, the forms report was replaced with extensive electronic reports of applicants, pupils and pupils who completed or interrupted their main course, together with reports on short courses.

Folk high school statistics is a part of adult education statistics, but information on pupils on long courses is included in the education statistics on pupils and students.

2.2. Users and applications

Public administration, special interest organizations, the media and researchers.

3. Statistics production

3.1. Population

All folk high schools report their course activities on individual level to Statistics Norway. Applicants on long courses, pupils 1 October and pupils who completed or interrupted long courses last year are reported once each year to Statistics Norway.

3.2 Data sources

Electronic reports on applicants and pupils are send to Statistics Norway before 1 November.

3.3. Sampling

Full

3.4. Collection of data

The data are delivered on discs. Most folk high schools use an administrative system called NAVI.

3.5. Control and revision

All education data undergo various on-receipt controls. It encompasses deletion of duplicates (units with identical Personal ID-number), a control of correct and valid values for each variable. The data is also recoded so they are comparable. All Personal ID-numbers are checked for errors.

3.6. Estimation

After summing up reported data and additional variables no special analysis are done.

3.7 Confidentiality

4. Concepts, variables and classifications

4.1. Definitions of the main concepts and variables

Folk high school: A "fri og allmenndannende" school with a clear integral purpose. Folk high schools do not have syllabus and exams.

Long course: A course with duration of 16 ½ to 33 weeks

Education in progress: Pupils registered with a folk high school 1 october in the school year.

Completed education: Course activity that are completed with a folk high school in the current time period.

Completed/not completed: A pupil has completed a course when he has fulfilled the requirements the school has set for accomplishment of the course. A pupil has not completed the course when he interrupts his participation before the requirements has been met.

Special target groups: With special target groups we mean handicapped pupils with extra resources demand. This means that handicapped pupils are counted as to pupils.

4.2. Standard classifications

Course type: One year long, or ½ year long, depending on duration.

Full time/Part time: For pupils at folk high school, full time is defined as 24 hours per week or more. Part time is defined as less than 24 hours per week.

Ownership: Either County, state or private interests own Schools.

Municipality of residence: Are based on address 1 October in the school year. Country of birth and citizenship are classified after Statistic Norway's codes.

5. Sources of error and uncertainty

5.1. Measurement and processing errors

A statistical investigation may be encumbered with various sorts of error. Errors may occur during the collection of data if units being investigated are not identical to the mass of units we aim at describing. Other types of error may occur during the coding the data collected. Most errors in the education statistics are caused by errors in the foundation of the statistics.

Statistics Norway compiles data for pupils registered as of 1st October. Some of the providers of the data can have given information on students as of a different date, which can lead to inconsistence in the data. Other possible errors is persons registered as studying, which have already completed their studies.

5.2 Non-response errors

Education statistics are not based on sampling

5.3. Sampling errors

Education statistics are not based on sampling.

5.4 Other sources of error

Register errors: errors may be due to self-reported information from the pupils or applicant or erroneous reporting from the data provider. However, a number of these non-sampling errors will be identified as part of control and revision routines. Statistics Norway strives to include all pupils.

6. Comparability and coherence

6.1. Comparability over time and space

Electronic reports from folk high schools began in 2001. All folk high school statistics can be compared with previous years after 2001.

6.2. Coherence with other statistics

Statistics over pupils attending folk high school long courses are a part of statistics on adult education and statistics for pupils and students.

7. Availability

7.1. Publications and other links

http://www.ssb.no/emner/04/02/50/utfolklangkurs_en/

Statistics Norway make public folk high school statistics in varius types of publications. "Dagens statistikk" (www.ssb.no) are the most important channel for publishing new statistics.

Hossein Moafi: "Omlegging av folkehøgskolestatistikk, overgang til elektronisk rapportering", Notater 2002/39, Statistisk sentralbyrå 2002. (Norwegian only)

7.2. Microdata

All education statistics at Statistics Norway is stored in a proper, standardized manner in consultation with the Data Inspectorate


2004 © Statistisk sentralbyrå