Description

EDUCVE indicates the person's educational attainment in Venezuela in terms of the level of schooling completed and the number of years completed at that level.

Comparability — General

The variable is largely comparable across samples. Only the 1971 and 2001 samples distinguish between technical and academic secondary education. Preschool is not identified in 1981, but it appears to be included with "none." Special education is identified in 2001 and is coded as a subcategory of "none." No previous census mentioned special education in its instructions.

Most importantly, there was a change in educational systems between 1990 and 2001. Through 1990, the education system comprised 6 years of primary, 3 of middle school and 3 of high school. These last two allowed for academic as well as technical tracks. In 2001, basic or elementary school became 9 years of study (including what used to be called middle school), and high school was renamed middle school, and lasted 3 years. The last three years of middle school have an academic and a technical version.

To make 2001 comparable with earlier censuses, the last 3 years of basic/elementary education are coded to academic secondary. The new middle school becomes years 4 to 6 of academic secondary and technical secondary. Years 1 to 3 of technical middle school study are not identifiable in 2001; they are combined with academic study.

The 3rd year of academic middle school in 2001 is apparently included with 0 years of university study.

The 2001 sample is the only one to identify technical post-secondary education.

See the unharmonized education variables in each sample for the original categorizations.

Universe

Availability

• Venezuela: 1971, 1981, 1990, 2001