The term «basic education» is widespread. However, there are different understandings and uses of this term by countries and by international agencies. We revise here the uses of «basic education» in: (a) the global «Education for All» agenda, co-ordinated by UNESCO (1990-2015), (b) UNESCO's International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), and (c) school systems.
Education for All and the «expanded vision of basic education»
"Basic education is more than an end in itself. It is the foundation for lifelong learning and human development on which countries may build, systematically, further levels and types of education and training" (Article 1. World Declaration on «Education for All»).At the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien-Thailand, 1990) organized by UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank, the Education for All programme was launched. Governments agreed on six «basic education» goals embracing all ages: early childhood, childhood, youth, and adulthood.
Education for All adopted an «expanded vision of basic education», an education aimed at «meeting basic learning needs» of children, youth, and adults, in and out of school. Such basic learning needs comprised knowledge, values and attitudes required by human beings to:
1 survive
2 develop their full capacities
3 live and work in dignity,
4 participate fully in development
5 improve the quality of their lives
6 make informed decisions
7 continue learning.
However, most governments understood «expanded» as adding school years to compulsory education rather than as radically rethinking conventional basic education.
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BASIC EDUCATION |
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Restricted Vision |
Expanded Vision |
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refers to children |
refers to children, youth and adults |
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within the school system |
in and out of the school system (family, community, everyday life) |
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equivalent to primary education equivalent to primary education or to some school level |
not defined by number of school years |
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it aims at learning a curriculum |
it aims at meeting basic learning needs |
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it refers to a life period |
it is lifelong |
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it is homogeneous, same for all |
it is differentiated (persons and groups have different basic learning needs) |
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it is static |
it is dynamic, changes over time |
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it depends on the Ministry of Education |
it involves all ministries |
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it is provided by the State |
it involves State and civil society |
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Elaboration: Rosa María Torres. Adapted from One Decade of Education for All: The Challenge Ahead, IIPE-UNESCO Buenos Aires, 2000. |
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International agencies and plans
International agencies use the term basic education in different ways.
The World Bank understood basic education as non-formal education for youth and adults, later as primary education, and then as equivalent to primary and lower secondary education, coinciding with ISCED, UNESCO's official classification (see below). UNICEF emphasizes initial and primary education with the concept of basic education.
The education goal within the Millennium Development Goals (MDG, 2000-2015) did not refer to basic education but to primary education (reduced to four years of schooling, "survival to grade 5").
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), UNESCO
ISCED was created in the 1970s to facilitate comparisons of education statistics and indicators across countries on the basis of uniform and internationally agreed definitions. The first ISCED was approved at the International Conference on Education (Geneva, 1975) and later at UNESCO's General Conference.
In 1997 ISCED was revised and approved at UNESCO's General Conference in November 1997.
In 2011 the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) proposed another revision, to take into account significant changes in education systems since 1997.
Another review took place in 2012. A panel of experts led by UIS developed a classification called the ISCED Fields of Education and Training (ISCED-F), which was adopted in November 2013. "This classification has been designed principally to describe and categorise fields of education and training at the secondary, post-secondary and tertiary levels of formal education as defined by ISCED 2011".
Level Description
ISCED 0 Early childhood education. Duration: variable.
ISCED 1 Primary education (first cycle of basic education). Duration: 4 to 7 years, 6 most common.
ISCED 2 Lower secondary education (second cycle of basic education). Duration: 2 to 5 years.
ISCED 3 Upper secondary education. Duration: 2 to 5 years, 3 most common.
ISCED 4 Post-secondary non tertiary education. Duration: 6 months to 3 years.
ISCED 5 Short cycle tertiary education. Duration: 2 to 3 years.
ISCED 6 Bachelor's or equivalent level. Duration: 3, 4 o more years.
ISCED 7 Master's or equivalent level. Duration: 1 to 4 years.
ISCED 8 Doctoral or equivalent level. Duration: 3 years minimum.
ISCED 0 Early childhood education. Duration: variable.
ISCED 1 Primary education (first cycle of basic education). Duration: 4 to 7 years, 6 most common.
ISCED 2 Lower secondary education (second cycle of basic education). Duration: 2 to 5 years.
ISCED 3 Upper secondary education. Duration: 2 to 5 years, 3 most common.
ISCED 4 Post-secondary non tertiary education. Duration: 6 months to 3 years.
ISCED 5 Short cycle tertiary education. Duration: 2 to 3 years.
ISCED 6 Bachelor's or equivalent level. Duration: 3, 4 o more years.
ISCED 7 Master's or equivalent level. Duration: 1 to 4 years.
ISCED 8 Doctoral or equivalent level. Duration: 3 years minimum.
In this classification «basic education» comprises primary and lower secondary education.
UNESCO never adopted the «expanded vision of basic education» agreed upon in Jomtien in 1990, which went beyond the school system and the number of years of schooling.
At the UIS-UNESCO website (Glossary) we find this definition of «basic education»:
"Whole range of educational activities, taking place in various settings, that aim to meet basic learning needs as defined in the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand, 1990). According to ISCED standard, basic education comprises primary education (first stage of basic education) and lower secondary education (second stage). It also covers a wide variety of non-formal and informal public and private activities intended to meet the basic learning needs of people of all ages".School systems
Source: World Conference on EFA: Meeting Basic Learning Needs, Jomtien, Thailand, 1990.
In most countries, «basic education» continues to refer to school education and to children. In many countries, «basic education» and «primary education» are used as equivalent. In many countries, «basic education» is considered equivalent to «compulsory education». When «basic education» refers to youth and adults, it is generally associated to «school education» (formal or non-formal) and equivalent to «primary education».
In Latin America, each country uses «basic education» in its own way. Some countries use the term General Basic Education (Educación General Básica). Some adopt the ISCED classification: «basic education» comprising primary and lower secondary education. This is the case of Mexico or Colombia. In Ecuador, «basic education» comprises 10 years of schooling: one year of pre-school, six years of primarry education and three years of lower secondary education. In other countries, «basic education» covers 8 years. In Argentina, «basic education» covers 9 years and «compulsory education» 12 years.
Brazil introduced the concept of «basic education» as equivalent to compulsory education and expanded compulsory education, covering initial, primary and secondary education (14 years of schooling, from 4 to 17 years of age). Thus, «basic education» comprises the entire school system prior to higher education. It includes children, youth and adults. The reform aims at an «integral school» working 7 hours a day, so as to expand and diversify learning experiences, in and out of school premises (community, socio-cultural, recreative, sports, etc.). Jomtien's «expanded vision of basic education» was somehow re-invented in Brazil. (See: Secretaria de Educação Básica).
One can find inconsistent definitions and classifications on the Internet. In Wikipedia, for example, primary, elementary and basic education appear as equivalent. However, the entry basic education refers to Education for All and its «expanded vision" as well as to the ISCED 2011 classificaton.
In conclusion: the «expanded vision of basic education» agreed upon in Jomtien in 1990 by governments and international agencies, and its understanding as an education capable of «meeting basic learining needs» of children, youth and adults, in and out of the school system, was never incorporated by UNESCO and other specialized international agencies, and was not further developed. Adopting it would have meant an education revolution.
More than education, it is schooling (school education) that is at the heart of national and international education agendas, which makes it difficult to understand and incorporate the LifeLong Learning paradigm.
Related texts in this blog
- Basic learning needs: Different frameworks
