The Origins of the International Standard Classification of Education

This article recalls the earliest attempts to compile international educational statistics going back into the 19th century and retraces the steps that led up to the formulation and adoption of the International Standard Classification of Education in both its original and revised versions. It is in large part the story of how international educational statistics came to be developed. Source documents that have long been out of print and/or not easily accessible to readers outside UNESCO are quoted at length.