Higher Education (Hansard, 12 May 1986)

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the most recent figures for the number of young people in higher education as a proportion of the 18 to 25-year-old population in the United Kingdom; and what information he has about the equivalent figures for France, Japan and the United States of America.

§ Mr. Walden
Information for other countries is not available in the form requested. The table shows new entrants to higher education expressed as a percentage of a single year age cohort (the average population in the most relevant age range). This measure was devised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as the fairest measure for international comparisons of higher education participation.

New entrants to higher education as a percentage of the relevant population 1982–83

Age group^* New Entrants per Relevant Population^†

United Kingdom 18.20 ^‡30.1

France 18.20 34.1

Japan 18 ^║34.2

United States of America 18 ^║61.2

^* Age group which encompasses at least 80 per cent, of new entrants (divided by number of single years involved) and which is used as the denominator for column 2.

^† New entrants (ie. those entering higher education for the first time) of all ages, as a percentage of a single young age cohort (the average population in the specified age range). Includes full-time and part-time.

^‡ 1983–84. Overseas students and those already with a higher education qualification excluded. Excludes correspondence courses and others outside the public education system other than nursing and paramedical students at DHSS establishments. If included the United Kingdom figure would be around 40 per cent.

^║ Includes private sector colleges.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in tabular form the proportion of those in employment with higher education qualifications or the equivalent in the United Kingdom, France, 316W West Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States of America, respectively, and show these proportions for each year from 1970 to the latest available date.

§ Mr. Walden
I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many student places in higher education have been unfilled in each year since 1979 in the universities and the public sector institutions, respectively; and what number of those places, and what proportion of the total, have been in science, technology and engineering.

§ Mr. Walden
Information on student places is not collected centrally.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish information available to his Department setting out the correlation between the number of young people in the 18 to 19-year-old cohort and the number entering higher education in each of the years from 1970 to the latest available date.

§ Mr. Walden
The relationship is measured by the age participation index, which is defined as the number of home initial entrants, aged less than 21, to full-time and sandwich courses of higher education expressed as a percentage of the most relevant age cohort. This is taken as half of those who were aged 18 and 19 in the relevant year. The figures for Great Britain are as follows:

API API^†

1972 14.3 12.4

1973 14.0 12.3

1974 13.8 12.2

1975 13.7 12.4

1976 13.3 12.5

1977 12.8 12.4

1978 12.4 12.1

1979 12.4 12.3

1980 12.6 ^*

1981 13.1 ^*

1982 13.4 ^*

1983 13.2 ^*

1984 13.7 ^*

^‡1985 14.0 ^*

^* There were no such entrants after 1979.

^† Excluding entrants to teacher training courses with less than 2 'A' levels.

^‡ Early estimate.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish information available to his Department indicating the extent to which there is a connection between levels of participation in higher education and national economic performance.

§ Mr. Walden
It is very difficult to quantify the effect that higher education has on economic performance. Calculations of the social rate of return approach this question indirectly by analysing the relationship between levels of education and earnings. An account of work in this area by DES economists was published in Cmnd. 9524 "The Development of Higher Education, into the 1990s". This suggested that the overall social rate of return to university first degrees was in the region of 5 to 8 per cent. in real terms.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish information available to his 317W Department indicating the social rate of return from higher education provided at particular institutions or in particular departments of such institutions.

§ Mr. Walden
No information is available on the social rate of return from higher education provided at particular departments or institutions.

§ Mr. Forman
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish any information available to his Department from sample surveys indicating the extent to which those who have experienced higher education believe that they have benefited from it.

§ Mr. Walden
I am aware of only three studies, which, while not of the precise kind referred to by my hon. Friend, have a bearing on students' perceptions of the value of higher education:
(a) a study undertaken in 1977 of persons graduating in 1970, which attempted to assess the extent to which student aspirations had been realised by their subsequent employment. The results were published in June 1981 as a Department of Employment Research paper (Number 26) and are available in the statistics section of the Library.

Students successfully completing higher education programmes in Engineering and Technology and Science subjects

Percentage of the relevant population^*

Year Below first degree level First degree level Both levels Post graduate level All levels

Engineering and Technology^†

France 1982 — 1.3 1.3 0.2 1.6

Japan^‡ 1982 0.4 3.8 4.3 0.5 4.7

United States of America^║ 1982 — 1.7 1.7 0.3 2.0

United Kingdom^¶ 1982 2.1 1.6 3.7 0.3 3.9

1983 2.3 1.6 3.8 0.3 4.1

All Science subjects^●

France 1981 2.8 5.3 8.1 4.3 12.3

Japan■ 1982 1.4 7.3 8.7 0.9 9.5

United States of America^║ 1981 3.2 6.3 9.5 2.4 11.9

United Kingdom^¶⋆ 1982 7.8 5.5 13.3 1.6 14.9

1983 7.7 5.3 12.9 1.5 14.4

^* A single year age cohort based on the average population in an age range related to the likely qualification ages.

^† Home students only.

^‡ Estimates of students successfully completing courses in architecture, town planning, trade, have been subtracted from published UNESCO figures. Includes private sector institutions and correspondence courses.

^║ Includes private sector institutions.

^¶ Includes estimates of successful completions of courses leading to professional qualifications in public sector institutions. Excludes private sector institutions.

^● Includes natural science, mathematics and computing, medical and health related sciences, engineering and technology, architecture and town planning, trade, craft and industrial programmes, agriculture, forestry and fishery.

■ Includes private sector institutions and correspondence courses.

⋆ Includes estimates of successful completions of nursing and paramedical courses under the auspices of the Department of Health and Social Security.

New entrants to higher education as a percentage of the relevant population 1982–83
	Age group^*	New Entrants per Relevant Population^†
United Kingdom	18.20	^‡30.1
France	18.20	34.1
Japan	18	^║34.2
United States of America	18	^║61.2
^* Age group which encompasses at least 80 per cent, of new entrants (divided by number of single years involved) and which is used as the denominator for column 2.
^† New entrants (ie. those entering higher education for the first time) of all ages, as a percentage of a single young age cohort (the average population in the specified age range). Includes full-time and part-time.
^‡ 1983–84. Overseas students and those already with a higher education qualification excluded. Excludes correspondence courses and others outside the public education system other than nursing and paramedical students at DHSS establishments. If included the United Kingdom figure would be around 40 per cent.
^║ Includes private sector colleges.

	API	API^†
1972	14.3	12.4
1973	14.0	12.3
1974	13.8	12.2
1975	13.7	12.4
1976	13.3	12.5
1977	12.8	12.4
1978	12.4	12.1
1979	12.4	12.3
1980	12.6	^*
1981	13.1	^*
1982	13.4	^*
1983	13.2	^*
1984	13.7	^*
^‡1985	14.0	^*
^* There were no such entrants after 1979.
^† Excluding entrants to teacher training courses with less than 2 'A' levels.
^‡ Early estimate.

Students successfully completing higher education programmes in Engineering and Technology and Science subjects
		Percentage of the relevant population^*
	Year	Below first degree level	First degree level	Both levels	Post graduate level	All levels
Engineering and Technology^†
France	1982	—	1.3	1.3	0.2	1.6
Japan^‡	1982	0.4	3.8	4.3	0.5	4.7
United States of America^║	1982	—	1.7	1.7	0.3	2.0
United Kingdom^¶	1982	2.1	1.6	3.7	0.3	3.9
	1983	2.3	1.6	3.8	0.3	4.1
All Science subjects^●
France	1981	2.8	5.3	8.1	4.3	12.3
Japan■	1982	1.4	7.3	8.7	0.9	9.5
United States of America^║	1981	3.2	6.3	9.5	2.4	11.9
United Kingdom^¶⋆	1982	7.8	5.5	13.3	1.6	14.9
	1983	7.7	5.3	12.9	1.5	14.4
^* A single year age cohort based on the average population in an age range related to the likely qualification ages.
^† Home students only.
^‡ Estimates of students successfully completing courses in architecture, town planning, trade, have been subtracted from published UNESCO figures. Includes private sector institutions and correspondence courses.
^║ Includes private sector institutions.
^¶ Includes estimates of successful completions of courses leading to professional qualifications in public sector institutions. Excludes private sector institutions.
^● Includes natural science, mathematics and computing, medical and health related sciences, engineering and technology, architecture and town planning, trade, craft and industrial programmes, agriculture, forestry and fishery.
■ Includes private sector institutions and correspondence courses.
⋆ Includes estimates of successful completions of nursing and paramedical courses under the auspices of the Department of Health and Social Security.