HC Deb 13 May 1986 vol 97 cc430-2W
Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in tabular form for each year from 1970 to the latest available date the number of students and the proportion of the total in higher education represented by (a) those in universities, (b) those in public sector institutions, (c) those studying science or technology, (d) those studying the humanities, (e) those studying full time, (f) those studying part time and (g) students from abroad.

Mr. Walden

Detailed information on student numbers in higher education in Great Britain was published in July 1985, in statistical bulletin 9/85, a copy of which is in the Library. It is proposed to issue an updated bulletin later this year.

Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in tabular form the number of female students in higher education in each year from 1970 to the latest available date and list these figures as a percentage of the total number of students in each year.

Mr. Walden

The information is shown in the following table:

Full-time and sandwich students in higher education* in Great Britain
Women (000s) Percentage of all students
1970 163.3 36.6
1971 184.9 39.9
1972 191.0 40.4
1973 182.7 38.0
1974 201.8 41.5
1975 208.2 41.3
1976 208.4 40.6
1977 202.4 39.8
1978 198.5 39.2
1979 202.5 39.7
1980 210.1 40.3
1981 222.0 40.9
1982 231.4 41.8
1983 239.0 42.3
1984 246.3 43.0
* Including students from abroad.

Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in tabular form the number of mature students in higher education in each year from 1970 to the latest available date and list these figures as a percentage of the total number of students in each year.

Mr. Walden

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply given on 23 April at column 150. Information on earlier years for Great Britain universities, including that on students from abroad, are shown in the following table; similar information for public sector higher education is not readily available.

Students aged 21 or over (000s) Mature students as a percentage of all students
1970 108.2 47.5
1971 110.9 47.2
1972 99.4 41.5
1973 101.8 41.7
1974 105.6 42.2
1975 110.9 42.4
1976 115.0 42.3
1977 116.2 41.4
1978 118.3 41.0
1979 118.0 40.3
1. Postgraduate ages are at 31 December.
2. Undergraduate ages for 1970 and 1971 are as at 31 December, all other years are as at 31 August.

Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in tabular form the number of students in higher education from families in social groups C2 and DE in each year from 1970 to the latest available date and list these figures as a percentage of the total number of students in each year.

Mr. Walden

The proportions of home university students accepted through the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) from social groups III M (Skilled Occupations—Manual), IV (Partly Skilled Occupations), and V (Unskilled Occupations) since 1977 were as follows. Similar figures are neither available for earlier years, nor for students in public sector higher education.

Year III M (000s) Per cent.* IV and V (000s) Per cent.*
1977 10.7 16.6 4.1 6.4
1978 10.6 16.1 4.2 6.4
1979 11.3 16.3 4.1 6.0

Year IIIM (000s) Per cent.* IV and V (000s) Per cent.*
1980 10.1 14.0 3.9 5.4
1981 8.2 12.3 3.4 5.2
1982 8.0 12.2 3.8 5.8
1983 7.8 12.4 4.4 7.1
1984 8.1 12.4 4.8 7.3
* Percentage of those of known social class only.

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