Each household member aged five years and over will be first asked if he/she can read and write. A person is said to be able to read and write if he/she can read and understand and also write in any language. People can read and write only their names and numbers are not considered as having educational qualification. Also those who can read only scripture- related and memorized texts are not taken as having been educated.

If the person does not read and write, the term "illiterate" will be entered in column 30 and "00" in card columns 55 and 56. However if the household member is able to read and write, he/she will be asked the highest grade he/she completed and then the correct code for the response among those in the list will be registered in the space provided in column 30 in line with the household member and this same code will be entered in card columns 55 and 56.

Highest grade completed refers to the highest educational grade individuals are currently attending or the highest grade level they completed in the past under the available curriculum in regular schools, universities, training institutes and the like.

The highest grade the household member completed will be registered in the space provided corresponding to the household member in column 30. Then the correct code among those listed below will be identified and entered in card columns 55 and 56.

To determine the highest grade completed for a person who has attended or still attending other than regular school and university the number of academic years completed in the institution or equivalent level is added on the grade or level completed in regular school. For example, if some years ago the requirement for entrance to a nursing school was to complete eighth grade in regular education, and the course in the nursing school takes three years to complete the professional training then grade completed will be calculated as: 8 + 3 = 11. Hence 11 will be entered in card columns 55 and 56.

But if the requirement for admission to a nursing school was completion of 11tth grade from regular schools, then the situation has to be treated differently. One who completes a three-year nursing training without any repetition and having no further regular education is said to have completed 14, i.e. /11 + 3/. For people who have attended or currently attending evening schools, teachers training institutes, commercial, technical, telecommunications, etc. schools or institutes, their highest grade completed will have to be determined in the same way.

One thing worth noting here is that the highest grade completed for a person who has studied in different educational institutions will be the highest grade among these. For example, let us assume a nurse completed 11th grade in regular school and also 3 years training in nursing school and later completed 12th grade in evening school and further pursued her education in the university extension program for three years. The highest grade this person completed is: First) grade completed in regular school (11) plus years completed in nursing institute (3) equals 14. On the other hand if she has completed 11th grade in regular school and completed 12th grade in extension session of regular school and further completed 3rd year education in a university, then the highest grade she completed will be 15 /11 + 1 + 3/. If she completed a three year education above 12th grade under a program unintended to obtain degree, code "20" will be entered in card columns 55 and 56 or code "21" will be entered in the card columns under a program intended to obtain a degree.

As can be understood from the second example above, the standard of some vocational training institutes does not match with that in regular schools and universities. And this does not have to create any confusion because the required data is highest grade completed not the school or institute standard people have attended or are still attending.

Five years and above
[Questions 26-27 were asked of resident members age 5+.]

Educational status

26. Enter grade enrolled for those now attending school

[Questions 18-20 were asked of long form respondents age 5+.]

20. What is the highest grade [the respondent] completed?

Questions from 18-20 refer to only members of a given household aged 5 years and over. During the time of enumeration information on the ability of the person to read and write with the language he/she speaks, the school attendance status of the person and the highest grade the individual has completed will be asked and collected. All questions refer to the literacy and educational status of individuals aged 5 years and over at the period of the census.

Question 20:- What is the highest grade [the respondent] completed?

This question will be asked to persons who are reported to be attending school at the time of enumeration and to those who were attending some times in the past. The level of educational attainment or highest grade the person has completed refers to the highest grade level he/she has completed within the most advanced level attended in the educational system either in the new or the former educational system of the country where the education was received. For example, a person who is found to be attending in grade 7 at the time of enumeration is considered to have completed grade 6 in question 20. Therefore, codes 7 and 6 will be assigned to the individual on questions 19 and 20 respectively. However the person may not attend at the time of the census but reported to have taken exam in grade 8 and passed, under this circumstance the person is considered as the one who completed grade 8.

For the purpose of enabling the enumerators to assign and mark the necessary codes to the information obtained, the list of level of grades which the respondents has completed at the time of census with their corresponding list of codes are given below.

B: - Highest Grade Levels the Individuals Have Completed at the Time of Census with Their Corresponding Codes

Grade level the person has completed, Code, Description
Preschool, 00, for persons who have completed kindergarten or schools below grade 1

Grade 1, 01, for persons who have completed grade 1 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 2, 02, for persons who have completed grade 2 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 3, 03, for persons who have completed grade 3 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 4, 04, for persons who have completed grade 4 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 5, 05, for persons who have completed grade 5 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 6, 06, for persons who have completed grade 6 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 7, 07, for persons who have completed grade 7 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 8, 08, for persons who have completed grade 8 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 9, 09, for persons who have completed grade 9 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 10, 10, for persons who have complete grade 10 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 11, 11, for persons who have completed grade 11 in both former and new curriculums

Grade 12, 12, for persons who have completed grade 12 in both former and new curriculums

Certificate, 13, for those who graduated with certificate from formal education providing institutions which are above grade 12 (colleges and universities or similar institutions)

Those who do not complete diploma program, 14, for those who are attending in institutions above grade 12 and have completed at least the first year of the program which is designed to graduate persons in Diploma program but they have not graduated with Diploma

Those who do not complete degree program, 15, for those who are attending in institutions above grade 12 and have completed at least the first year of the program which is designed to graduate persons in degree but they have not graduated with Bachelors degree

People with Collage diploma, 16, for those who have completed the program which is designed to graduate persons in diploma and have graduated with diploma from higher institutions

People with first Degree, 17, for those who have completed the program which is designed to graduate persons in first degree and have graduated with first degree from higher institutions such as B.A., B.Sc. M.D., LL.B etc...

Persons in Post graduate program, 18, for those who are attending in higher educational institutions have completed at least the first year of post graduate program which is designed to graduate persons in degree of Master but they have not graduated

Persons with Degree of Master, 19, for those who have completed the post graduate program which is designed to graduate persons in second degree and have graduated with degree of Master from higher institutions such as M.A., M.Sc. M.A.D., M.LL., M.B.A etc..

Persons with Ph. Degree, 20, for those who have completed the post graduate program which is designed to graduate persons in Ph. Degree (doctorate degree) and have graduated with degree of Philosophy or Ph.D. from higher institutions

Grade 9, 21, for persons who have completed grade 9 in the new educational system

Grade 10, 22, for persons who have completed grade 10 in the new educational system

First year preparatory, 23, for persons who have completed the first year preparatory program which is designed to enable students to join higher educational institution

Second year preparatory, 24, for persons who have completed the second year preparatory program which is designed to enable students to join higher educational institution

10+1 and certificate, 25, for persons who have completed the 10+1 vocational and technical educational program and graduated with certificate

First year in 10+2, 26, for persons who have completed the first year of the 10+2 vocational and technical educational program

10+2 and certificate, 27, for persons who have completed the 10+2 vocational and technical educational program graduated with certificate.

First year in 10+3, 28, for persons who have completed the first year of the 10+3 vocational and technical educational program

Second year in 10+3, 29, for persons who have completed the second year of the 10+3 vocational and technical educational program

College diploma or 10+3, 30, for persons who have completed the 10+3 vocational and technical educational program graduated with diploma

Adult Education, 95, for persons who have completed adult education and not continued to attend in any other educational program

Non formal education, 96, for persons who are attending non-formal education like religious education at the time of enumeration or for those who are given code 96 on questions 19.

[Questions 18-20 were asked of long form respondents age 5+.]

19. Is [the respondent] currently attending school?

Questions from 18-20 refer to only members of a given household aged 5 years and over. During the time of enumeration information on the ability of the person to read and write with the language he/she speaks, the school attendance status of the person and the highest grade the individual has completed will be asked and collected. All questions refer to the literacy and educational status of individuals aged 5 years and over at the period of the census.

Question 19:- Is [the respondent] currently attending school?

For those members of a household who are reported to be attending school at the time of the census, the grade levels they are attending will be asked and the information obtained will be filled in the given questionnaire and shaded. For those persons who are not attending school during the time of the census but had attended sometime in the past, code 97 will be assigned. For individuals who have never attended code 98 will be given and the enumerator should skip to question 21 without asking question 20.

This question refers to the current school attendance status of persons aged 5 year and over. All eligible persons will be asked and based on the information obtained the appropriate code will be assigned from the given list of codes. Persons who are currently attending school (those attends school at the time of enumeration) are those who are attending formal education in schools, training institutions, universities, colleges and etc... and persons who attend informal education like religious education at the time of enumeration. The education can be given by either paid or unpaid/volunteer persons/teachers.

Persons who are trying to adopt some skills during spare time with the help of their relatives or persons whom they know are not considered as individuals who are attending school such as, daily laborers who try to acquire some skills about carpentry, mechanical works and sewing while working. Nevertheless, those who are acquiring skills in training institutions at the time of the census are taken as persons who are attending school.

For those who attend in the formal educational institutions are given codes from "00" to "14" and from "20" to "22". For individuals who are reported to be attending informal education such as religious education, skill development like typing, carpentry, mechanical works, driving, sewing and etc..., code 96 will be assigned and shaded. Moreover for persons who are found to be attending adult education, code 95 will be given.

Those who are stated under category 1 are individuals who attended school at some point of time in the past but currently found to be not attending because of dropout or completion of the programme. For those cases code 97 will be given. However, member of a given household who stated under category 2 are the one who have never attended any form of education and for them code 98 will be assigned. However persons who were attending school but reported to be not attending at the time of the census due to the end of academic year or vacation should be considered as cases, which attend school. For instance, students who had attended grade 8 or 10 during the academic year and taken exam prior to the time of census but found to be not attending due to the end of the academic year are given code that corresponds to persons attending grade 8 or 10.

For the purpose of enabling the enumerators to assign and mark the necessary codes to the information obtained, the list of level of grades which the respondents attend at the time of census with their corresponding list of codes are given below.

A: - Grade Levels With Codes for Those Attending School at the Time of Enumeration.

Grade level, Code, Description
Preschool, 00, for persons who are attending kindergarten or schools below grade 1

Grade 1, 01, for persons who are attending grade 1

Grade 2, 02, for persons who are attending grade 2

Grade 3, 03, for persons who are attending grade 3

Grade 4, 04, for persons who are attending grade 4

Grade 5, 05, for persons who are attending grade 5

Grade 6, 06, for persons who are attending grade 6

Grade 7, 07, for persons who are attending grade 7

Grade 8, 08, for persons who are attending grade 8

Grade 9, 09, for persons who are attending grade 9

Grade 10, 10, for persons who are attending grade 10

First year preparatory, 11, for persons who are attending the first year preparatory program which enables them to join higher educational institution

Second year preparatory, 12, for persons who are attending the second year preparatory program which enables them to join higher educational institution

10+1, 13, for persons who are attending the 10+1 vocational and technical educational program that is designed to graduate students with certificate

10+2, 14, for persons who are attending the 10+2 vocational and technical educational program that is designed to graduate students with certificate.

College diploma or 10+3, 20, for persons who are attending the 10+3 vocational and technical educational program which is designed to graduate students with diploma

Degree, 21, for persons who attends program in higher institution which is designed to graduate students with degree such as B.A., B.Sc., LL.B., M.D.

Post graduate, 22, for persons who are attending post graduate program which is designed to graduate students with post graduate degree such as M.Sc., M.A. or Ph.D.

Adult Education, 95, for persons who are attending adult education

Non formal education, 96, for persons who are attending non-formal education like religious education at the time enumeration.

For Those Who Had Attended before but are Not Attending at the Time of Census

Dropout cases or those who attended before

Those Who Never Attended Before

Never attended before