§ Baroness Warwick of Undercliffeasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the current state of participation in higher education compares with the 50 per cent target for 2010; and how the figure for participation is calculated. [HL1882]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills, (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)In 1999–2000 around 40 per cent of 18–30 year olds were participating in higher education.44WA This definition includes all courses of one year or more leading to a qualification. This definition will form the basis for calculating participation. Further work is being undertaken by the QCA to asssess whether some professional qualifications, in areas like nursing, the law, or management, should be incorporated into the baseline even though the period of study for these qualifications may be less than one year.