Questionnaire Text

Questionnaire form view entire document:  text  image

[Questions 13 and 14 were asked to individuals 4 years old and older]


14. What is the highest level and grade or school year that you have completed?

[] 01 No grade
[] 02 Preschool
[] 03 Special education
1 _ Elementary
For any response above, continue with question 15
2 _ Vocational
3 _ Secondary
4 _ Higher, non-university
5 _ Higher, university
6 _ Specialization (graduate)
7 _ Master's
8 _ Doctorate
Continue with question 16.

Questionnaire instructions view entire document:  text  image

[Questions 13 and 14 were asked to individuals 4 years old and older]


Question No. 14: What is the highest level and grade or school year you have completed?
[Questions 13 and 14 were asked to persons 4 years old and over]
The objective of this question is to know the maximum grade of education achieved by persons in order to distinguish between those who finished or not, every one of the educative levels, besides, it allows us to detect if there have been, over time, changes in the educational structure.
Remember that this question applies to those 4 years old and older.
Mark the circle or write down in the corresponding, according to the level of education, the number of years a person approved.
Consider the following definitions:
Level of education: It is defined as the degree or highest degree level approved in the regular education system as it is imparted in schools or public or private universities in the country, i.e. primary, premedia [equivalent to middle school], secondary, vocational and university .
The latter may be at a technical, undergraduate, graduate, masters or doctorate level. If the person has received education abroad, please report a nearly as possible equivalent degree in the regular education system of the country. Distance courses are not considered regular education.

a) No grade: is when a person did not go to school, or did not complete the first grade of primary school.
b) Pre-school: Includes care centers or learning centers for children, usually under age 6. This includes both adaptation centers, such as nurseries, day-cares, children's centers, pre-kindergarten, and centers for infant orientation where they take care for infants, and education centers such as kindergartens or day-cares.
c) Special Education: Comprises the actions meant for providing educational opportunities to those whose physical, mental, emotional, social or educational, conditions require special attention in order to develop their full potential. Example: Panamanian Special Institute (IPHE).
d) Primary: This type of education is free and compulsory for all children within the ages of six (6) to fifteen (15) years old. However, you may find students aged between five (5) and eighteen (18) years attending primary school.


[p. 158]
e) Vocational: Its purpose is to prepare students directly for a trade or profession; it consists of a basic cycle of vocational training of two to three years in length and has as a requisite the possession of a certificate of completion of primary studies in progress.
f) Middle or Secondary Education: This level of education has as a prerequisite the completion of the primary level of education, and it is, in turn, required for higher education. Secondary education consists of two cycles:

First Cycle or premedia [equivalent to middle school]: usually consists of three (3) years. It requires a certificate of completion of primary education in progress or the completion of primary education.
Second cycle or Middle: It is usually represented by a degree in sciences, arts and commerce. Its prerequisite is having a certificate of completion of the first cycle of secondary education or a certificate of completion of premedia studies. Normal education that prepares for the teaching practice also requires the same pre-requisite.

g) Higher, non-university: is the education that superior institutes of diverse specialties offer; these institutes have their own programs, curriculum, and because of their characteristics they are not considered university degrees, such as tourism, Institute of Computer Science, etc. Its requirement is to have a bachelor or secondary education degree, and its duration is two years.
h) Higher, university: is the education taught at universities such as: University of Panama, Universidad Tecnologica of Panama, Santa MarĂ­a La Antigua, Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Latina, Interamericana, ULACIT and others.
For private universities, list the years actually approved, not quarters or semesters.
i) Specialization or graduate: Studies carried out after obtaining an undergraduate degree; diplomados [equivalent to a diploma or certificate] are excluded. Duration: 1 year.
j) Master's: Refers to a higher academic degree, after having obtained an undergraduate degree. Maximum duration: 2 years.
k) Doctorate: refers to the highest academic level that a person can aspire to; having completed an undergraduate degree is required. Duration: 3-4 years.

These stages of study can be performed, either in the country or abroad.
As you can observe, there is a code on each answer choice so you only have to put the last digit according to the respondent's answer.
[p. 159]

[Above the text there is a sample image of the form.]
Do not use roman numerals. Keep in mind that the highest degree or year entirely approved is requested and consequently neither half a degree nor degrees that have not been completely finished or passed should be written down.
If the person has been educated abroad or in schools operating in the Panama Canal Area, write down as nearly as possible the equivalent grade in the regular education system of the country. Example: The 8th grade in those schools is equivalent to the 2nd year of secondary school in Panama.
Consider as a vocational school those that are not incorporated in the regular school system and that teach dressmaking, mechanics, electricity, commerce arbitrator, among others. Do not include in this category public schools such as the School of Arts and Crafts (Melchor Lasso de la Vega) and professional and technical institutes located in different parts of the national territory.
In those schools or colleges where premedia [equivalent to middle school] has been implemented, if a person indicates that she is in 7th, 8th or 9th grade, remember that she refers to 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of formal secondary education.
[p. 160]
Note: If a person has studied in a school of regular education and also, in a vocational school, consider as level passed the one in a school of regular education, as long as this one is the highest one or [at least] the same.
Maximum values for grade levels.
The maximum parameters are listed for each level as follows:
Primary [1] [6]
Vocational [2] [3]
Secondary [3] [6]
High - Not University [4] [2]
High - University [5] [6]
Specialization (Graduate) [6] [1]
Master's degree [7] [2]
Doctorate [8] [4]

[p. 161]
Example No. 1: The respondent declares she has just completed a Masters in Advertising (2 years), after finishing an undergraduate degree (four years).
[Below the text there is a sample image of the form.]
Example No. 2: The person got an undergraduate degree in Electro-mechanics at a vocational school (3 years).