§ Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what percentage of the adult population in England and Wales are receiving further and higher education;
(2) what percentage of those receiving adult education in England and Wales are receiving vocational training;
(3) what percentage of the adult population in England and Wales are receiving vocational training.
§ Dr. BoysonThere were approximately half a million adults—aged 18 and over—enrolled on full-time and 3 million enrolled on part-time higher and further education courses in universities and maintained, assisted and grant-aided further education establishments in England and Wales in 1979–80. These figures represented about 1½ and 10 per cent. of the adult population, respectively. It is estimated that about 95 per cent. of the full-time and 25 per cent. of the part-time adult students were enrolled on courses of a vocational nature. (For this purpose vocational courses are taken to include all courses leading to a qualification). These figures represented about 1½ and 2½ per cent. of the adult population respectively.
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§ Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the rise in the average age of those receiving higher and further education abroad, there has been a comparable rise in England and Wales since 1960.
§ Dr. BoysonBetween the academic years 1960–61 and 1977–78, the percentage of full-time and sandwich students in further and higher education in the United Kingdom who were 21 and over rose from 30 to 38 per cent. At the same time the percentage under the age of 18 fell from 27 to 21 per cent. It follows that there has been an increase in the average age of these students and that a similar situation would exist for England and Wales.
Comparable evidence for other countries cannot readily be obtained for the same period but there is some information in respect of European Community countries, for 1970–71 and 1977–78. Although there are substantial variations between individual countries, the overall situation for the remainder of the European Community suggests that there has also been an increase in the average age of such students, but that this is less marked than the increase for the United Kingdom.
The overall age of students in full-time education will depend in part upon the size of the population in the age group in question and any changes in the average age of those in education could merely reflect changes in the underlying population. However, in the case of the United Kingdom it is clear that there has been a substantial relative increase in the participation in education by mature students.
§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the size of the predetermined pool for local education authorities' expenditure on advanced further education in 1981–82; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleFollowing consultation with the local authority associations, I propose to specify by regulations the sum of £447 million at estimated outturn prices as the quantum for poolable expenditure on advanced further education in 1981–82. This sum reflects the £12 million planned reduction—at 1980 survey prices—in expenditure on higher education in the maintained sector which I announced yesterday. Individual local authorities will be notified of their pool allocations for 1981–82, calculated on a basis agreed with the local authority associations, within the next few days,