The Guide: Implementing the Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity
The main features of the Standards
MCIMA recommended that:
- the minimum core set of variables be implemented in all Commonwealth, State and Territory statistical and administrative collections that require information on cultural and language diversity;
- additional variables from the standard set be added to the minimum core set where a wider range of information is required; and
- the acronym NESB not be used.
The minimum core set of the Standards consists of four variables:
- country of birth of person;
- main language other than English spoken at home;
- proficiency in spoken English; and
- Indigenous status (for those data collections which are not specifically focussed on migrants to Australia).
The Standards set includes the minimum core set as well as the following variables:
- ancestry;
- country of birth of father;
- country of birth of mother;
- first language spoken;
- languages spoken at home;
- main language spoken at home;
- religious affiliation; and
- year of arrival in Australia.
The Standards can be used to generate aggregate information about users and potential users of government services, policies and programs and expected and actual outcomes.
One practical means of doing this is to use the EP Country Groups developed by DIMIA.2
The EP Country Groups combine two of the four minimum core set variables (country of birth of person and proficiency in spoken English) and when correlated with other economic and social indicators (eg unemployment rate), produce more meaningful data on differences between migrant groups.
2. DIMIA Statistics Section, 1996 Classification of Countries into English Proficiency Groups, Statistical Focus C96.1A Revised, April 1999.
Next: The Guide: Implementing the Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity - implementing the Standards
Previous: The Guide: Implementing the Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity - description of the Standards