HC Deb 18 November 1982 vol 32 cc256-7W
Mr. McNally

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many (a) 3-year-old and (b) 4-year-old children in England were in (i) nursery schools and (ii) nursery classes in primary schools expressed as (a) full-time equivalents and (b) full and unweighted part-timers in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what was the total population of (i) 3-year-olds and (ii) 4-year-olds in the same years.

Dr. Boyson

The information requested is as follows:

Age of pupils (at previous 31 August)
3 years 4 years*
1980 1981 1982 1980 1981 1982
Part-time pupils 91,320 95,531 ‡105,574 27,970 27,950 ‡27,972
Full-time equivalent† 65,057 67,468 ‡72,786 25,519 25,248 ‡24,526
Estimated population (thousands) 544 525 539 385 368 354
* Excluding children aged 4 years who became 5 years of age by 31 December.
† Full-time pupils plus half the number of part-time pupils.
† Provisional.

Mr. McNally

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, how many (a) 3-year-olds and (b) 4-year-olds in England were in local authority day nurseries with teacher surpervision expressed (i) as full-time equivalents and (ii) as full and unweighted part-timers in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Dr. Boyson

The Department does not collect information relating to the employment of teachers in day nurseries.

Mr. McNally

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many (a) 3-year-olds and (b) 4-year-olds in England were involved in no form of education or other pre-school educational experience in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Dr. Boyson

The estimated numbers of children aged 3 and 4 years who were not attending a school as either a full-time or part-time pupil in January 1980, 1981 and 1982 are as follows:

Children aged 3 and 4 years not attending a school
Age at previous 31 August
January 3 years (thousands) *4 years (thousands)
1980 390 104
1981 367 94
1982 369 86
* Excluding children aged 4 years on 31 August who became 5 years by 31 December.

Mr. McNally

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his estimates of the number of (a) 3 and (b) 4-year-olds in each school year for 1982–83 to 1988–89.

Dr. Boyson

Projections of the numbers of 3 and 4-year-old children in England are as follows:

Thousands
January of each year
*Age 3 Age 4
1983 584 366
1984 606 396
1985 595 415
1986 579 395
1987 579 388
1988 594 391
1989 616 404
* Children aged 3 at the previous 31 August.
† Children aged 4 at the previous 31 August, but excluding those becoming 5 between that date and 31 December.

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