§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students in (a) universities and (b)public sector institutions are now studying with the benefit of distance learning techniques; and what were the equivalent figures in each year from 1970 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. WaldenIn November 1984, 460 advanced course students and 6,250 non-advanced course students were recorded as studying at further education colleges in England using distance learning.
605WThe numbers of Open University undergraduate and associate students, all of whom use distance learning techniques, were as follows:
Calendar year Thousands 1971 19.6 1975 53.5 1979 69.4 1980 68.9 1981 67.0 1982 70.3 1983 73.8 1984 75.4 1985 76.4 The numbers of such students at universities, other than the Open University, and for earlier years at further education colleges are not available.
§ Mr. Radiceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the total number of mature entrants into higher education in each year since 1974.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe information for home full-time and sandwich initial entrants aged 21 and over to higher education in Great Britain is as follows:
Higher Education in Great Britain Thousands Academic year beginning Full-time and sandwich home mature initial entrants 1974 30.7 1975 31.4 1976 33.0 1977 30.5 1978 32.3 1979 34.0 1980 33.2 1981 36.0 1982 35.9 1983 36.8 1984 37.1 *1985 39.2 *Provisional.
§ Mr. Radiceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the older, mature participation index for higher education in each year since 1974.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerFigures for the older mature participation index, which is defined as the number of home full-time and sandwich initial entrants aged 25 and over, expressed as a percentage of the population aged 25 to 34 in that year, are shown in the following table.
606W
Older Mature entry indices to Higher Education in Great Britain Academic year beginning Men Women 1974 0.223 0.243 1975 0.237 0.242 1976 0.234 0.217 1977 0.210 0.170 1978 0.229 0.185 1979 0.228 0.207 1980 0.229 0.209 1981 0.260 0.230 1982 0.255 0.237 1983 0.273 0.248 1984 0.262 0.250 *1985 0.260 0.274
*Provisional. Note:
1. Due to a minor change in definition the figures for 1974 to 1978 are not strictly comparable with those for later years.
§ Mr. Radiceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the total number of part-time students in higher education each year since 1970;
(2) what has been the total, full-time equivalent number of students in higher education each year since 1970.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe information for selected years is as follows:
Student numbers in higher education—Great Britain thousands Academic Year beginning Full-time and sandwich Part-time Approximate full-time equivalent 1970 446 162 503 1975 504 215 579 1979 510 268 604 1980 521 288 622 1981 542 297 646 1982 553 303 659 1983 566 312 675 1984 573 312 682 *1985 578 328 693 *Provisional. Notes:
1. Conversion factors vary in the different sectors and for different levels of course. For this table an illustrative factor of 35 per cent. has been used for all part-time students.