HC Deb 01 March 1991 vol 186 cc638-9W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide a statistical breakdown of the characteristics of students in(a) higher education and (b) further education in Northern Ireland analysed by gender, aged over 25 years, country of origin and category of award for the past five years.

Dr. Mawhinney

The information is as follows:

Sex 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
(a) (i) Number of students in higher education by gender
Male 11,551 11,423 11,581 11,657 11,932
Female 9,425 9,862 10,534 11,201 11,862
Total 20,976 21,285 22,115 22,858 23,794
(ii) Number of students under and over 25 years of age in higher education
Under 25 15,344 15,582 15,957 16,253 16,753
25 and over 5,632 5,703 6,158 6,605 7,041
Total 20,976 21,285 22,115 22,858 23,794
(iii) Number of students in higher education by country of origin
Northern Ireland 19,235 19,172 19,595 20,027 20,762
Great Britain 836 869 862 794 735
Republic of Ireland 450 629 945 1,239 1,505
Other EEC 55 90 79 98 141
Commonwealth 225 282 349 408 415
Other Overseas 175 243 285 292 236
Total 20,976 21,285 22,115 22,858 23,794
(iv) Number of students in higher education by category of award
Mandatory 13,983 14,753 14,894 15,717 n/a
Discretionary 3,199 3,101 3,135 3,385 n/a
Total 17,182 17,854 18,029 19,102 n/a
(b) (i) Number of students in further education by gender
Male 28,317 26,231 n/a 27,540 27,801
Female 26,753 27,063 n/a 29,168 30,883
Total 55,070 53,294 n/a 56,708 58,684
(ii) Number of students in further education under and over 25 years of age
Under 25 45,212 43,521 n/a 45,048 44,659
25 and over 9,468 9,354 n/a 10,935 13,103
Age Unknown 390 419 n/a 725 922
Total 55,070 53,294 n/a 56,708 58,684
(iii) Number of students in further education by country of origin
Northern Ireland 54,540 52,728 n/a 55,864 57,635
Great Britain 89 62 n/a 55 41
Republic of Ireland 188 282 n/a 544 680
Other EEC 14 20 n/a 12 33
Commonwealth 200 163 n/a 207 249
Other Overseas 39 39 n/a 28 44
Total 55,070 53,294 n/a 56,708 58,682
(iv) Number of students in further education by category of award
Mandatory 3,794 2,422 2,848 3,283 3,742
Discretionary 1,750 1,539 1,586 1,531 1,166
Total 5,544 3,961 4,434 4,814 4,908

Notes:

1 Information not available owing to industrial action by lecturers in colleges of further education in that year.

2 Information is not available for 1989–90.