Publications that have appeared in the preceding six months are referred to in the central area of the home page, under the heading ‘Latest Publications’.

The Eurydice European Unit is normally responsible for the English, French and German language versions of publications. Where a French or German translation is still not available or is not planned, the title appears in English under this heading. Where translation has occurred, it is replaced by a title in French or German, depending on the browsing language.

National Units are sometimes responsible for the translation of certain publications into their national language.

Publications that have appeared in the preceding six months are referred to in the central area of the home page, under the heading ‘Latest Translations’.

Please note that the English, French and German language versions for which the Eurydice European Unit is responsible are not included in this section but shown in the ‘New Publications’ section above it.

You can contact for this purpose the Eurydice National Unit in your country or the Eurydice European Unit.

To obtain our contact details, please consult the ‘contact us’ page. We shall send you a copy of the publication you require if it is in stock. Remember to specify your preferred language version (the language versions in which a printed publication is available are indicated on its website display page).

Most Eurydice publications are available free of charge. However, a few have to be paid for and are available solely from the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities in Luxembourg and its sales agents (if so, this is indicated in the bibliographical note on the website display page of the publication).

The Eurydice Network is an authoritative reference source given its methodology which is designed to ensure that its studies are fully reliable and of sound quality.

Once a particular subject has been identified for further investigation, the Eurydice European Unit and a few National Units meet within a working group to determine the framework of the study, the dimensions to be examined and the way in which information will be gathered. The aim at this stage is to identify the scope of the study, the adjustments required to ensure compatibility of the data, and the terms in which a particular issue should be addressed for all countries concerned. The guidelines drawn up as a result and, where applicable, the data collection questionnaire or guide to the content prepared by the European Unit are then tested by the working group. Next, the required information is gathered at source by all National Units.

On this basis, the Eurydice European Unit drafts comparative studies and then checks them with the Eurydice National Units, which are responsible for approving their content.

The data collection resources used may sometimes be available on the website display pages of publications, particularly in the case of the most recent studies.

Most information is gathered by National Units in the Eurydice Network and is generally obtained from official administrative sources (regulations, legislation and orders or recommendations, etc.).

Information of this kind is occasionally supplemented by Eurostat statistical data or data collected during empirical surveys such as those of the OECD (PISA) or the IEA (PIRLS).

The UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is an instrument geared to the gathering of statistics on education at international level. It establishes a relation between two classification variables, namely fields of study and levels of education, on the one hand, and the complementary dimensions of generally oriented/vocationally oriented or pre-vocationally oriented provision and the transition from education to the labour market, on the other.

The current version, ISCED 97, distinguishes between seven levels of education. Empirically speaking, ISCED presupposes that there are several criteria that may help to indicate the level of education at which a particular programme should be classified. Depending on the level and type of education concerned, there is a need to establish a ranking between main and subsidiary criteria (qualifications generally required for admission, minimum conditions of admission, minimum age, staff qualifications, etc.).

ISCED 0: Pre-primary education
Pre-primary education is defined as the initial stage of organised instruction. It is school- or centre-based and is designed for children aged at least 3 years.
ISCED 1: Primary education
This level begins between 5 and 7 years of age, is compulsory in all countries and generally lasts from four to six years.
ISCED 2: Lower secondary education
This continues the basic programmes of the primary level, although teaching is typically more subject-focused. Usually, the end of this level coincides with the end of full-time compulsory education.
ISCED 3: Upper secondary education
This level generally begins at the end of compulsory education. The entrance age is typically 15 or 16 years. Entrance qualifications (end of compulsory education) and other minimum entry requirements are usually needed. Instruction is often more subject-oriented than at ISCED level 2. The typical duration of ISCED level 3 varies from two to five years.
ISCED 4: Post-secondary non-tertiary education
These programmes straddle the boundary between upper secondary and tertiary education. They serve to broaden the knowledge of ISCED level 3 graduates. Typical examples are those designed to prepare pupils for studies at ISCED level 5 or for direct labour market entry.
ISCED 5: Tertiary education (first stage)
Entry to these programmes normally requires the successful completion of ISCED level 3 or 4. This level includes tertiary programmes with an academic orientation (type A) which are largely theoretically based and tertiary programmes with an occupational orientation (type B) which are typically shorter than type A programmes and geared for entry into the labour market.
ISCED 6: Tertiary education (second stage)
This level is reserved for tertiary studies that lead to an advanced research qualification (Ph.D. or doctorate).