§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students entered into higher education establishments last year; and if she will give the numbers of males and females, respectively.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeProvisional figures of students entering higher education establishments in 1971 indicate that 66,400 students (44,500 men and 21,900 women) entered Universities in the United Kingdom and 37,800 students (10,600 men and 27,200 women) entered non-graduate courses of initial teacher training at Colleges of Education in England and Wales. The latter figures exclude students entering teacher training after having taken other courses of higher education. Figures for students on advanced courses in further education establishments are still being collected by my Department.
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how 245W many students left school in 1971 at 15 years of age; and how many were boys and girls, respectively.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeIt is estimated that during 1971, 302,000 pupils left schools in England and Wales aged 15, of whom 154,000 were boys and 148,000 girls.
§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she will give local education authorities, in assessing the grants of married students, discretion to ignore parental income and dependence where it is clear from the facts that on such dependence exists, and that the parental income is in no way devoted towards the maintenance of such married students;
(2) what proposals she has to alter the rules for student grants whereby a married student continues to be regarded as a dependant of his parents if he or she marries during the course of study.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeAs a general principle, in the awards system parents are expected to contribute, according to their means, to the higher education of their children. My right hon. Friend has no plans to depart from this principle solely on grounds that the student is married.