National education database

The main purpose of the database is to provide a statistical system that allows figures to be assembled from different years. This enables broader and larger analyses to be conducted of all the information contained in the education files, and particularly throughput analyses.

The database encompasses education statistics at an individual level dating back to 1970. Previously, this information was largely available in the so-called ‘year files’, i.e. files with information for each year. The most important year files are the file with registered students as of 1 October, the file of completed education for the previous school year, and a register of the population’s highest completed education. There are also a number of other registers.

Extensive efforts have been made to improve comparability over time, with a broad review of all source files and registers being undertaken to make all variables comparable. In the work on the NUDB, all variables have been reviewed and coded as far back as possible so that the data is as consistent as possible. Information about Norwegian students abroad is included from 1986. The database also contains information on demographic conditions.

The data in the database is organised to facilitate the retrieval of data, both internally and for researchers and others.

Developing an event history database

When developing a database of this type, the source registers for official statistics are used as the starting point. For education, this entails the aforementioned year files for students as per 1 October, files of completed education and the register of the population’s highest completed education. These are organised in a way that ensure the files are comparable over time. New data is linked to old (year sets to year sets) and is compared variable by variable. All events occurring on each variable are dated and coded as separate records according to a set of predefined rules. Only new information is of interest to the database. Each course of study (vocational or academic) taken by a person is registered as a separate case, with a start and end date.

Production of the NUDB

A number of predefined throughput variables are also entered in the database that make it easier to extract throughput indicators. There are two types: indicators that are set once and which do not change, and event history indicators, which are updated every year. Examples of indicators that are set once include:

• Yearly figures for initial registration at upper secondary school and higher education
• Yearly figures for initial completion of lower secondary school, upper secondary school and the different levels in higher education

In addition, the number of terms used before the first completion at these levels is also entered.

Examples of event history throughput variables are counts of the number of terms in education at different levels.

A variable has also been created that counts the number of terms within the relevant education in order to show whether the studies were completed within the standard timeframe. This is only done for studies that follow a set course of study because it is difficult to assess what is actually included as part of a degree in the more modular types of education/degrees.

Content

NUDB consists of several main tables. Some are event history tables/files, i.e. the activities are dated with a start and end date, while others are not organised as event history files.