HC Deb 23 March 1981 vol 1 cc238-9W
Sir Brandon Rhys Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Kensington, Official Report, 23 February, column 265, if he will now show the numbers of pupils leaving school without attempting O-level or CSE in either mathematics or English, expressed as percentages of all school leavers in 1969–70, 1974–75 and 1978–79; and if he will also show the number and percentages who left school in the same years having attempted O-level or CSE in mathematics and English, but having achieved grades below C for O-level and four for CSE.

Dr. Boyson

Detailed information is not available in precisely the form requested. The following table shows for England the analyses most readily available, covering various summary combinations of attempt and result.

1969–70 1974–75 (percentages) 1978–79
: attempted neither 44.7 21.5 14.6
All leavers
: percentage 100.0 100.0 100.0
: number 578,000 651,700 737,400

Notes: higher grades comprise an O-level pass in exams before 1975 or a grade A to C in 1975 or after, and a grade 1 in CSE.