USAID/LANIC: Education Indicators - Gross and Net Enrollment Ratios

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Gross and Net Enrollment Ratios

	Gross Enrollment Ratio (% or relevant age group)
	Pre- primary							Net Enrollment Ratio
		Primary		Secondary		Tertiary		Primary		Secondary
	1995	1980	1995	1980	1995	1980	1995	1980	1995	1980	1995
Cuba	89	106	105	81	80	17	14	95	99	..	59
Dominican Republic	20	118	103	42	41	..	..	..	81	..	22
Haiti	..	76	..	14	..	1	..	38	..	..	..
Jamaica	81	103	109	67	66	7	6	96	100	64	64
Trinidad & Tobago	10	99	96	70	72	4	8	90	88	..	64
Caribbean
Costa Rica	70	105	107	48	50	21	32	89	92	39	43
El Salvador	31	74	88	25	32	13	18	..	79	..	21
Guatemala	32	71	84	18	25	8	8	58	..	13	..
Honduras	14	98	111	30	32	8	10	78	90	..	21
Nicaragua	20	98	110	43	47	13	9	98	83	23	27
Panama	76	106	106	61	68	21	30	89	..	46	..
Central America
Argentina	50	106	108	56	72	22	38	..	..	..	59
Bolivia	..	87	..	37	..	16	..	79	..	16	..
Brazil	56	98	112	33	45	11	11	80	90	14	19
Chile	96	109	99	53	69	12	28	..	86	..	55
Colombia	28	124	114	41	67	9	17	..	85	..	50
Ecuador	49	117	109	53	50	35	..	..	92	..	..
Paraguay	38	106	109	27	38	9	10	89	89	..	33
Peru	36	114	123	59	70	17	31	86	91	..	53
Uruguay	33	107	111	62	82	17	27	..	95	..	..
Venezuela	43	93	94	21	35	21	29	82	88	14	20
South America
Mexico	71	120	115	49	58	14	14	..	100	..	..

Source: World Development Indicators 1998 (CD-ROM version), World Bank, Washington, DC, 1998.

Definitions: Gross enrollment ratio is the number of students enrolled in a level of education, whether or not they belong in the relevant age group for that level, as a percentage of the popul ation in the relevant age group for that level. Estimates are based on UNESCO’s classification of education levels, as follows. Preprimary provides education for children not old enough to enter school at the primary level. Primary provid es the basic elements of education at elementary or primary schools. Secondary provides general or specialized instruction at middle, secondary, or high schools, teacher training schools, and vocational or technical schools. This level of educati on is based on at least four years of instruction at the primary level. Tertiary requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the secondary level or evidence of attainment of an equivalent level of knowl edge and is provided at universities, teachers colleges, and higher-level professional schools. Net enrollment is the number of students enrolled in a level of education who belong in the relevant age group, as a percentage of the population in th at age group.

Notes: The gross primary enrollment ratio has an inherent weakness in that the length of primary education differs significantly across countries (see Table 5.2). As a result, a short duration increases the ratio, and a long du ration decreases it (partly because of more dropouts among older children). The gross enrollment ratio provides an indication of the capacity of each level of the education system, but a high ratio does not necessarily indicate a successful education sys tem as the ratio includes overage and underage enrollments. Net enrollment ratios provide a better indicator of a school system's efficiency, but neither indicator measures the quality of the education provided. While the equivalence of the gross and ne t primary ratios for Nicaragua in 1980 and the net primary ratio for Mexico appear peculiar, these are the data as recorded by the source.[an error occurred while processing this directive]