HC Deb 12 April 1984 vol 58 cc320-1W
Mr. Radice

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of non-mature student entrants to universities in each of the past 10 years have been female; and what proportion of those female entrants were educated at fee-paying schools, grammar schools and comprehensives, respectively.

Sir Keith Joseph

The available information is as follows:

Numbers
Great Britain
Percentage of entrants to university aged under 21 who were women
1973–74 36
1974–75 37
1975–76 37
1976–77 37
1977–78 38
1978–79 38
1979–80 40
1980–81 40
1981–82 41
1982–83 41
England
Girls leaving school intending to take up full-time degree courses at university—percentages* from grammar schools
1973–74 43
1974–75 36
1975–76 31
1976–77 26
1977–78 21
1978–79 20
1979–80 14
1980–81 14
1981–82 11
1982–83 11
Other Maintained Schools
1973–74 28
1974–75 36
1975–76 41
1976–77 47
1977–78 53
1978–79 55

Numbers
1979–80 62
1980–81 61
1981–82 63
1982–83 60
Independent
1973–74 29
1974–75 28
1975–76 28
1976–77 26
1977–78 27
1978–79 25
1979–80 25
1980–81 25
1981–82 27
1982–83 29
* Owing to rounding, some of the percentages do not add up to 100.

The falling share attributable to the grammar schools reflects a similar fall in the share of all pupils.

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