§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what are the reasons for the wide variation in failure rates of students in faculties of applied science between institutions of higher education.
§ Mr. HoggThis is a matter which is susceptible of extended discussion beyond the limits of reply to a Question, but I would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 575–584 of the Report of the Committee on Higher Education (Cmnd. 2154) and to paragraphs 82–83 of the recently published University Grants Committee Report (Cmnd 2267).
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will make a comparison between the average A-level performance of university entrants in faculties of pure and applied science.
§ Mr. HoggI understand that analyses of the "A" level qualifications obtained in the General Certificate of Education examinations by the applicants to the Universities Central Council on Admissions who were admitted to universities last October will be included in the Report of the Council, which is expected to be published shortly after Easter.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will request the University Grants Committee to seek from the universities the reasons for the high failure rates in applied science.
§ Mr. HoggI would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 82 and 83 of the recent University Grants Committee 25W Report "University Development 1957–1962" (Cmnd. 2267), in which the Committee has drawn attention to a number of reasons which have been advanced to explain the comparatively high failure rates in applied sciences as compared with other university faculties in this country.