As part of ISCED’s governance, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) established the ISCED Review Panel (RP) in June 2023 to advise on the classification of national education programmes and related qualifications. The RP was tasked with reviewing the current version of ISCED classifications and identifying areas for potential development to enhance their relevance and application.

Comprising 16 experts from various UNESCO Member States and international organizations, the RP assessed key issues encountered in the implementation of ISCED-P 2011 (educational programmes), ISCED-A 2011 (educational attainment), and ISCED-F 2013 (fields of education). These issues, compiled by UIS over the past decade of implementation of the classifications, informed the review process to determine whether amendments or revisions were necessary.

Following a comprehensive review of 16 key issues, the RP formulated recommendations for:

• Amendments to ISCED-P and ISCED-A 2011 to refine definitions, concepts, and scope.
• A comprehensive revision of ISCED-F 2013 to address rapidly evolving fields of education, emerging skills mismatches,  and increasing demand for new qualifications in response to changing labor market needs.
• Strengthening global comparability of education data by enhancing classification consistency across countries.

The RP’s recommendations will be submitted, for adoption, at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2025. Their implementation will involve planning, research, expert inputs, consultations with Member States to ensure global alignment and buy-in, validation, and finalization of the revised classifications for presentation at the 44th UNESCO General Conference in late 2027.

To support Member States in adopting the updated classifications, UIS will develop technical and operational manuals, along with tools, workshops, and training to facilitate a smooth transition.

Additionally, the RP has also recommended a regular ISCED review cycle to ensure the classification remains responsive to evolving education systems and global trends.

ISCED Review Panel Recommendations Report