§ 39. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the latest figures available for the staff-student ratios in colleges of further education, polytechnics and universities; what changes are envisaged in these figures over the next few years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe latest available estimates of staff-student ratios are as follows:
- Universities (1980–81)—9.5:1
- Polytechnics (1980–81)
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- (i) advanced work—7.5:1
- (ii) non-advanced work—6.8:1
- Colleges of Further Education (1980–81)
- (i) advanced work—7.3:1
- (ii) non-advanced work—9.0:1
The university figures are not precisely comparable with those for polytechnics and Colleges of Further Education because of differences in accounting for part-time staff and students.
As announced in Cmnd. 8175, the Government's expenditure plans assume a significant tightening of staffing standards in all sectors of higher and further education. Allowing for increased enrolments this autumn, particularly in advanced and non-advanced further education, the Government's expenditure plans for 1982–83 imply a tightening of staff-student ratios over two years of about 8 per cent. for non-advanced further education and just over 16 per cent. for advanced further education. The provisional grant allocations and the home and EC student number targets announced by the UGC for 1983–84 imply a tightening of staff-student ratios in the universities of about 8 per cent. by that year. Final plans for public expenditure in 1983–84 and after have not yet been announced.