HC Deb 18 December 1958 vol 597 cc257-8W
Mr. Moss

asked the Minister of Education whether he will state the latest available figures showing the numbers of boys and girls, respectively, who continue full-time day, part-time day, and evening- class education, respectively, after the statutory school-leaving age has been reached; and what increase there has been in the number of girls receiving full- time and part-time further education since the publication of the White Paper on Technical Education in February, 1956.

Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

The latest figures available are for the educational year 1956–57 and are given in the following table. Under the heading "Full time" are included pupils still at school and in teacher training, in universities and in technical colleges.

Thousands
Age Full-time Part-time day Evening only
BOYS
20 22.5 24.7 26.7
19 13.2 35.5 34.0
18 21.7 46.8 44.5
17 37.4 68.7 65.4
16 63.1 71.2 72.4
15 105.9 48.4 71.5
GIRLS
20 11.7 1.8 25.9
19 15.8 3.1 31.7
18 14.2 6.1 40.4
17 29.6 15.8 56.3
16 58.6 18.7 64.5
15 100.4 14.5 63.3

The figures for girls given above show the Following increase or decrease over those on which the percentages in Table ill of the 1956 White Paper on Technical Education were based.

Thousands
Age Full-time Part-time day Evening only
20 +1.8* +0.5* +3.9
19 +3.0* +0.8 +4.7
18 +0.6* +1.5 +5.5
17 +4.0 +2.2 +2.5
16 +4.6 +2.4 –0.4
15 +3.2 +1.3 –3.7
* These figures are affected by a change in the method of estimating the age distribution in universities and training colleges, which has the effect of increasing the 19 and 20 year-old figures. but of reducing the 18 year-old figures for 1956–57