2001 Census: Education 2001
Explanatory Notes
2001 Census Data Quality
General
For the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings, Statistics New Zealand put in place a Quality Management Strategy (QMS) to ensure data from the census was fit for use. The QMS identified key actions Statistics New Zealand was to undertake during all phases of the 2001 Census cycle to ensure data quality.
At the processing phase of the census, certain quality assurance procedures were implemented to ensure that the data was recorded accurately and that any inconsistencies were minimised as the data was coded. These processes did not attempt to change the respondents' answers. The objective was to minimise introduced error in the data.
This strategy means that some inconsistencies may remain in the census data. There may, for example, be slight inconsistencies in table totals for some variables. These inconsistencies do not affect the fitness for use of data.
Further information on data quality in the 2001 Census can be found in chapter 7 of the Introduction to the Census.
Data quality of education and study questions
The data obtained from the education questions was not of a high quality. Some 187,074 people (6.5 percent) did not answer either the school or the post-school questions, and a further 220,365 (7.6 percent) did not answer them accurately enough to allow them to be classified to a level of attainment (altogether 407,439 people or 14.1 percent). In addition, 471,090 people (16.3 percent) did not answer the post-school qualification field of study question, and a further 54,219 (1.9 percent) did not answer it accurately enough to allow them to be classified to field of study (altogether 525,306 people or 18.2 percent). Those who did not answer the post-school qualification question tended to be in the younger and older age groups, ie the age groups that tend not to have post-school qualifications. Some ethnic groups were also less likely to answer this question.
Data from questions related to study course attendance was also not of a high quality. While the non-response rate (8.7 percent) played some part in this, other factors may also have played a part in lowering the quality of this data (see below for more information).
School Qualifications
In 1996 'other school qualifications' were included in the output category 'not identifiable', whereas in 2001 they are a separate output category. Also, in 1996 people who were too young to have university entrance were edited to 'not identifiable' whereas in 2001 these people were left in the university entrance category (university entrance was removed in 1986). In 2001 National Certificate Levels are included in the highest secondary school qualifications classification for the first time.
Post-school Qualifications
There are two components to this classification: field of study (or subject) and level of attainment.
There was a major change in the post-school qualifications classification between 1991 and 1996, which caused a break in the time series. For this reason, there are no tables in this publication with data from 1991.
Field of Study
Care should be taken when comparing field of study data from 1996 with field of study data from 2001. The field of study classification changed between these two periods and although the 1996 data presented in this publication has been output using the same categories as the 2001 classification, some differences remain:
- In 1996 respondents were asked to provide information about their two highest post-school qualifications. In this report the 1996 field of study data uses the first post-school qualification provided. In 2001, respondents were asked to provide their highest post-school qualification.
- Some classification changes have resulted in one 1996 field of study category being split into several categories in 2001. The 1996 data cannot always be split into the 2001 categories. The greatest impact is in the following broad fields:
- agriculture, environmental and related studies (overstated by 3,683),
- food hospitality and personal services (understated by 2,879),
- creative arts (overstated by 1,046), and
- society and culture (understated by 1,046).
Examples from the level of attainment classification
| Level of Attainment or Highest Qualification | Examples |
| Higher degree | PhD, MA, post graduate diploma |
| Bachelor degree | BA, BSc, degree equivalent diplomas |
| Advanced vocational qualification | Undergraduate diploma / certificate, New Zealand Diploma, New Zealand certificate, national diploma |
| Intermediate vocational qualification | Technicians certificate, advanced trade certificate, national diploma |
| Skilled vocational qualification | Trade certificates, apprenticeships, national certificate |
| Basic vocational qualification | Pre-vocational certificates, bridging certificates, foundation certificates, national certificate |
| Higher school qualification | University Bursary Entrance Exam, scholarship, Higher School Certificate, National Certificate Level 3 |
| Sixth form qualification | Sixth Form Certificate, University Entrance prior to 1986, National Certificate Level 2 |
| Fifth form qualification | School Certificate passes, National Certificate Level 1 |
Study Course Attendance
Comparisons of study course attendance between 1996 and 2001 have been deliberately omitted from this publication because a variety of changes in the timing, questions and wording have affected the comparability of the time series. These changes are:
- In the 2001 Census, questions about study course attendance were asked as part of an activities question whereas in 1996 there was a stand-alone study question.
- The 2001 question asked about activities in the "last 4 weeks" whereas the 1996 question asked about the "7 days that ended on Sunday 3 March".
- In 2001, all universities had started for the new year, whereas in 1996 two universities had not started back for the new academic year.
- In 2001, the questions asked about "studying for 20 hours or more" or "less than 20 hours" whereas in 1996 the questions asked about "full-time" or "part-time" study.
Income Bands
An upper income grouping of 'over $40,000' has been used in this topic report. This cut-off was chosen because it most closely resembles the highest income quintile for the adult population. In other words, approximately 20 percent of the population aged 15 years and over received $40,000 or more in income in the year to March 2001. This cut-off is consistent with that used in the highlights for the Incomes topic report.
Ethnicity
Changes to the form of the ethnicity questions used in the 1996 and 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings have resulted in some data that is not consistent between 1991 and 1996 or between 1996 and 2001. This applies particularly to the 'European' ethnic groups, including the 'New Zealand European' ethnic group, but also to the 'Mäori' ethnic group. Data between 1991 and 2001 may not be affected.
To measure real effects of population change, comparisons should be made between 1991 and 2001 Census data.
Changes in the ethnicity question
The ethnicity question in the 1996 Census had a different format from that used in 1991 and 2001. In 1996, there was an answer box for 'Other European' with additional drop down answer boxes for 'English', 'Dutch', 'Australian', 'Scottish', 'Irish', 'other'. These were not used in 1991 and 2001.
Furthermore, the first two answer boxes for the question were in a different order from those of 1991 and 2001. 'NZ Maori' was listed first and 'NZ European or Pakeha' was listed second in 1996. The 1991 and 2001 questions also used the words 'New Zealand European' rather then 'NZ European or Pakeha'. The 2001 question used the word 'Mäori' rather than 'NZ Maori'.
In all three years, people could provide more than one response to the question, for example Mäori and Samoan. The wording of the 1996 question made it more explicit that respondents could tick more than one box for the ethnicity question.
Copies of the layout of the questions are contained in the more detailed technical paper referred to later in this note.
Impact on data
Some data from the 1996 ethnicity question is not consistent with data from 1991 and 2001. This is due in part to the effect of the different question format rather than an effect of real change.
- There have been increased counts for the additional 'Other European' categories from 1996. The increase was restricted to the 1996 data, with 1991 and 2001 being at much lower levels.
- There was also a drop in 1996 in the level for some categories such as 'European not further defined'. This again is a result of people in 1996 ticking the additionally specific 'other European' categories but in 1991 or 2001 just writing 'British' or 'European'.
- The count for the 'NZ European or Pakeha' category decreased in 1996 compared with that of 1991 and 2001. This may have been because some people in 1996 saw the additional 'other European' categories as better describing their ethnicity and so answered these rather than the 'NZ European or Pakeha' category. There may also be some impact on 1996 data from this category being second on the list rather than first.
- The count of 'Mäori' ethnicity increased between 1991 and 1996 but there has been little change between 1996 and 2001. There may be some effect from the category being listed first in 1996 but second in the other years. Furthermore, additional categories may have increased multiple response, and there may be some effect from people answering on the basis of ancestry.
- There were more people who answered several categories in 1996 in comparison with 1991 and 2001. This has affected data comparisons for those who want to analyse single ethnicity response categories, including the sole Mäori ethnic group.
Cautions for users
As a result of these question and data changes, it is recommended that users note:
- Data for the European ethnic groups in the 1996 Census is not consistent with that of 1991 or 2001. This includes data for the 'New Zealand European' subgroup, as well as other European subgroups such as 'Irish', 'Welsh', 'Dutch', and 'Italian'.
- Data for the 'Mäori' ethnic group in the 1996 Census may not be consistent with that of 1991 or 2001.
- Data for the 'Asian' ethnic groups for the 1996 Census is less affected by the question changes.
- Data for the 'Pacific peoples' ethnic groups for the 1996 Census is less affected by the question changes.
- Data for single and combination ethnic groups for the 1996 Census is not consistent with that of 1991 or 2001.
- Data for prioritised ethnic groups for the 1996 Census is not consistent with that of 1991 or 2001.
Further information
A technical paper with further details and analysis of the data is available at www.stats.govt/ethnicity.
General Terms and Definitions
General definitions can be found in Definitions and Questionnaires.