Demographic Research: Volume 21, Article 6
In the first four imputations, if a respondent’s highest degree was a school degree,
she was assumed to be attending school up to that date. Since respondents may have
started vocational training or university education, but dropped out without receiving a
degree, we imputed a short duration of post-secondary education. If the school degree
was an (advanced) lower secondary degree, the respondent was assumed to have
attended vocational training for one year, without completing this training or receiving
a vocational degree. Thus, after this time, she was considered to be not enrolled in
education but to be holding an (advanced) lower secondary school degree up until the
time of interview. If the school degree was an upper secondary degree, the respondent
was considered to have attended university for two years, likewise without receiving a
degree, so that after this time and up until the date of interview, the respondent was
considered to hold an upper secondary school degree.
If the respondent’s highest degree was a vocational degree, she was first
considered to be enrolled in school, then in vocational training up until the date she
attained this degree, after which time she was considered to be holding a vocational
degree and not to be enrolled in education. To impute the date the respondent switches
from school to vocational training, we took into account the respondent’s year and
month of birth. If the respondent was born between January and September, she was
considered to have attended school until July the year she turned 16. If she was born
between October and December, she was considered to have attended school until July
the year she turned 17. This broadly corresponds to the duration of school attendance
for people with an advanced lower secondary degree, the most common type of school
degree among those with a vocational degree. Generally, an advanced lower secondary
degree can be obtained after ten years of school (although there is some variation here
across time and federal states). Children generally begin school the year they turn six if
they were born before a specific month, which also varies across time and federal states.
However, the most common cut-off month is October.
If the respondent’s highest degree was a university degree, she was considered to
have attended school up until July the year she turned 19 or 20, depending on her birth
month. Generally, an upper secondary degree, which is the most common school degree
among those with a university degree, can be obtained after 13 years of school. The
respondent is considered to switch directly from school to university education, and to
remain in university education up until the date she received her university degree.
Then, up until the date of interview, she is considered to be holding a university degree
and not to be enrolled.
If the respondent has no degree, she is considered to have attended school up until
July the year she turned 15 or 16, which corresponds to nine years of school, generally
the legal minimum duration of school attendance. She is then considered to have taken
part in some type of vocational training program for one year, without, however,
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