Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of fifth form scholars in those areas of England where sixth form colleges exist have entered on a sixth form course in each year from 1968 onwards; and how this compares with the proportion of sixth formers to fifth formers in neighbouring areas served by conventional secondary schools.
§ Mr. Prentice:My Department does not have this information. Statistics are collected for the area of each local education authority, while the majority of sixth form colleges serve relatively small parts of such areas. Even then some coexist with other forms of sixth form provision.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many sixth form colleges there were in England and what numbers of students were attending them in each year from 1968 onwards.
§ Mr. Prentice:The information is as follows:
Sixth form colleges (schools) for the 16 to 18 age range in England, 1968 to 1974.
At J St January Number of colleges Number of pupils 1968 3 2,129 1969 5 3,255 1970 9 5,128 1971 12 7,312 1972 14 8,912 1973 21 11,737 1974 38 20,678