§ 57. Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he makes of the cost-effectiveness in the preparation of graduates and diplomates of polytechnics and other local authority higher education colleges; and if he has any information on assessments of the cost-effectiveness of systems of higher education in western Europe, the United States and Japan which would provide the basis for a valid comparison.
§ Mr. BrookeSuch an assessment necessarily entails qualitative judgments supported by appropriate data on unit costs and other performance indicators, taking account of the lengh of higher education courses, the proportion of studens successfully graduating and graduate employment statistics. Countries in western Europe, the United States and Japan use similar approaches to the assessment of cost-effectiveness; but, because a variety of assumptions and methodologies are used, international 111W comparisons cannot be regarded as entirely reliable. The Department has played and will continue to play its part in improving the validity and reliability of such comparisons by co-operating fully in the work of OECD and UNESCO.