HC Deb 25 February 2004 vol 418 cc469-70W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have started Foundation Degrees since they were introduced; and what proportion have completed the courses. [142032]

Alan Johnson

The latest data from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), showing the number of students starting Foundation Degrees, is given in the table. Completion rates are not calculated by the Department, but figures published in January by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that in 2002/03,1,100 students successfully completed Foundation Degrees.

We welcome the increase in numbers. We now need to build on this as we look to make Foundation Degrees the standard two year qualification at this level.

Students starting Foundation Degrees HE and FE institutions in England
Academic year Full-time Part-time
2001/02 2,331 1,922
2002/03 4,805 4,170
2003/04 8,274 6,966
Source:
Higher Education Funding Council for England.