§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the first year student drop-out rate was in new universities in(a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [19615]
§ Margaret Hodge[holding answer 30 November 2001]: The available information on non-continuation rates is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The figures show, for each individual HE institution in the UK, the proportion of entrants to full-time first degree courses who do not continue in higher education beyond the first year. HEFCE also calculates a sector-wide non-continuation rate, but nothing is published for all new universities in aggregate. Copies of the HEFCE publications covering students starting courses in 1996–97 and 1997–98 are available in the House Library; prior to 1996–97, non-continuation rates were not published for individual HEIs.