§ 20 Mr. Lewis Stevensasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he can yet update the information on the proportion of young people entering higher education in the United Kingdom and other European countries, respectively; and if he can give the most recently available analogous data for other European countries, the United States of America and Japan.
§ Mr. WaldenThe readily available information is given in the following table:
106W
All New Entrants to Higher Education as a percentage of the relevant young persons' age group a Year b Age c New entrants to higher education per relevant population* United Kingdom 1983 18–20 †30.1 Austria 1981 18–20 ‡18.2 Belgium 1981 18–20 ║12.9 Denmark 1982 — 35.3 France 1982 18–20 34.1 Germany, Federal Republic of 1982 19–21 27.8 Ireland 1982 — 24.6 Italy 1983 19.21 27.6 Netherlands 1982 18–20 26.1 Spain 1980 — 28.3 Sweden 1979 — 25.1 Yugoslavia 1978 — ¶33.2 United States 1982 18 •61.2 Japan 1982 18 •34.2 — Not known.
* New entrants (all ages) to full-time and part-time higher education as a percentage of the average population in the most relevant age group. This is the age group, shown in column b, which includes 80 per cent. of new entrants to higher education. The average population is calculated by dividing the total population of the group by the number of years involved.
† Part-time new entrants included to aid international comparisons. Overseas students are excluded, as are postgraduates and others with a higher education qualification. Excludes students studying for higher education qualifications outside of the public education system other than nursing and paramedical students at DHSS establishments. If included the UK figure would be around 40 per cent.
‡ Provisional.
║ University only.
¶ Regular first year students.
• Includes private sector colleges and may include re-entrants.