HC Deb 31 October 1975 vol 898 cc623-4W
Mrs. Bain

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the average ratio of students to academic staff in British universities during each of the last five years.

Mr. Mulley

In each of the five years to 1974–75 for universities in Great Britain the ratio of full-time students to each full-time member of the academic staff wholly financed from university funds was 8.1, 8.1, 8.0, 8.0 and 8.0 respectively.

The figure for the academic year 1975–76 is not yet available, and that for 1974–75 is a provisional estimate.

Mr. Bates

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average staff-student ratio in (a) universities (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of education at the latest date for which figures are available.

Mr. Mulley

1973–74 is the latest academic year for which figures for all three categories are available. In that year, for universities in Great Britain the ratio of full-time students to each full-time member of the academic staff wholly financed from university funds was 8.0. In England and Wales, in polytechnics the ratio of students to each full-time member of the teaching staff was approximately 6.9—after allowing for the substantial number of part-time students on taught courses—and in colleges of education the ratio of full-time students to each full-time member of the teaching staff was 10.1.