UNESCO is a major collector and disseminator of statistical data on education and related subjects. Its statistical activities are aimed at providing relevant, reliable and current information for development and policy-making purposes, both at the national and international levels, and the production of reliable statistical indicators for education. These indicators cover four main areas: educational population; access and participation; the efficiency and effectiveness of education; human and financial resources. The <i>UNESCO Education Database</i> covers a wide range of these areas, at four main educational levels: pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary, in accordance with the <i>International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)</i> system. This system provides standard definitions for each of the four levels of education examined. UNESCO collects and collates education data according to these definitions from approximately 200 countries, and compiles them into the <i>Education Database</i> time series, which is published annually. Data are available in this collection for various topics related to primary education - the first <i>ISCED</i> level (<i>ISCED</i> = <i>International Standard Classification of Education</i>). Primary education usually begins at age five, six or seven years and lasts for about 5 or 6 years. However, in some countries, what is termed `basic' education provided at this level may last longer. Primary education programmes are designed to give pupils a sound basic education in reading, writing and arithmetic along with an elementary understanding of other subjects such as natural history, geography, natural science, social science, art and music. From the year 1994, these data also include `special' education at primary level as part of overall totals. Topics covered here include : number of institutions and private pupils, pupils in primary education (total, by age and by grade), total numbers of teachers (part- and full-time), and pupils `repeating' grades at this level. All data are further defined by gender. Users should note that 15 countries have reported an automatic promotion policy to the next grade, whether pupils have completed their education at the previous grade or not. Thus, there will be no data values for `repeaters' for these countries : Bahamas, Denmark, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Montserrat, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.