HC Deb 14 July 1994 vol 246 cc727-8W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the figures for(a) mature students returning to education and (b) school further education leavers continuing in further education/higher education for each academic year from 1980–81 to 1993–94.

Mr. Boswell

Numbers of mature home entrants—defined as those aged 21 and over at the start of an undergraduate course and aged 25 and over at the start of a postgraduate course—and home entrants of other ages to higher education are shown below. Data on the academic year beginning 1993 are not yet available.

Great Britain (000s)
Academic year beginning Mature entrants Other entrants Total
1980 134.9 180.9 315.8
1981 139.7 189.8 329.5
1982 139.8 193.1 332.9
1983 149.7 190.9 340.6
1984 151.2 192.8 344.0
1985 168.3 192.3 360.6
1986 186.4 191.7 378.1
1987 186.6 196.0 382.6
1988 203.7 199.8 403.5
1989 216.2 217.6 433.8
1990 236.8 231.6 468.4
1991 278.2 259.3 537.5
1992 319.4 281.6 601.0

Data on entrants to further education are not available on this basis.

Sources: Mature Students in Higher Education Statistical Bulletins.