§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many extra sixth form higher education and further education places will be required in England by 2010 to meet the EU education benchmarks. [83203]
§ Margaret Hodge[holding answer 25 November 2002]The structure and organisation of education systems is the responsibility of individual EU member states. There are no education benchmarks at EU level that we are required to meet. Education Ministers will consider next year whether or not to use some existing international indicators and/or benchmarks to help share and spread best practice in education.
Number of pupils not in school and being otherwise educated 1998–2002 Somerset Local Education Authority England Pupils aged 5–10 Pupils aged 11–15 Pupils aged 16+ Total Pupils aged 5–10 Pupils aged 11–15 Pupils aged 16+ Total 1998 71 234 9 314 2,462 10,587 545 13,594 1999 83 308 5 396 2,232 11,351 422 14,005 2000 93 344 3 440 2,825 12,264 585 15,670 2001 24 337 1 362 3,037 12,843 427 16,307 2002 64 119 19 202 3,361 15,187 386 18,934 The available figures record for each local education authority the number of pupils not in school and being otherwise educated under arrangements made by the authority. As well as covering pupils taught at home, this includes but does not separately identify, traveller children and asylum seekers at further education colleges or with voluntary providers. It does not however include pupils who are being educated at home through parental choice and independent of local education authority arrangements.