1. Improving ISCED-97 and its implementation Seminar September 2008 Paris Seminar General Recommendations

2. General recommendations from the meeting now
Specific recommendations to be made available shortly
Follow-up in INES and ETS Working Party/Group

3. Support for on-going ISCED advisory group
Systematic review of mappings:
- Peer reviews / Country expertise in advisory group.
ISCED 5A and 5B: review criteria of duration, single criteria not enough/hierarchy -> use of field of education
Split up 5A – distinguish master (2nd degrees)
Provision for long first degrees
Check the reporting of BaMa relating to ISCED

4. Not institution, not name of programme but content of programme
Data collection constrains for breaking down according to ISCED
Destination: review use. Reconsideration of destination in light of possible improvement of general/vocational distinction
Review destination particularly at level 3; General with access, vocational without access, vocational with access to higher level
Orientation: review clarity of general as opposed to vocational. Including considering technological/technical orientation.

5. ISCED level 4 to be reviewed in light of clarifications of concepts
Review specific boundary issues with countries, particularly ISCED 4 and 5B.
Check for 2nd cycle vocational programmes at level 3.
Rationale for ISCED 4 would be vocational programmes, but…..
- preparatory courses for entering tertiary to be considered as ISCED level 4 general.

6. Definition of educational attainment to be developed
Highest level attended / highest level certified
-> differences to be studied
Review 1978 recommendations with more exact guidelines
Programme for guidance on classification of ’old’ qualifications

7. Development of formal / non-formal: scope of education -> at conceptual level ?
UOE: Introduce wording of formal but scope is OK
The policy interest of having data on the Bologna structures: be prepared……..

8. Discussion points: For the ISCED seminar participants: your feedback?
Reactions of the ETS Working Group delegates:
- 5A and 5B review criteria of duration
- identify ISCED level 5 2nd degrees / master degrees as a separate level
- relation to Bologna structures
- review ISCED 4 and 5B in light of clarifications of concepts
- consider a, b, c destination in relation to strengthning ‘orientation’ -> technical/technological -> relation to field of education
- formal / non-formal -> CLA and the European Qualification Framework