HC Deb 27 November 1981 vol 13 c487W
Mr. Needham

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of 16-year-olds stayed on at school beyond their sixteenth birthday in 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80,and 1980–81.

Dr. Boyson

The information requested for maintained and non-maintained schools, excluding special, in England is as follows:

Numbers of pupils remaining at school in January aged 16 years the previous September, expressed as a percentage of the relevant numbers aged 15 years in the preceding year.
January Percentage
1978 27.6
1979 27.6
1980 28.1
1981 28.9