HC Deb 14 December 1988 vol 143 c573W
Mr. Straw

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the percentages of school leavers obtaining no graded result in GCE and CSE for each year since 1970–71.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The table relates to the percentage of English school leavers with no A-level pass nor any graded result at GCE O-level or CSE.

Leavers with no graded results1
England
Academic years Percentages
1970–71 44.1
1971–72 43.0
21972–73 7.3
1973–74 20.4
1974–75 18.6
1975–76 16.5
1976–77 14.8
1977–78 14.3
1978–79 12.8
1979–80 12.2
1980–81 11.4
1981–82 10.6
1982–83 9.6
1983–84 9.5
1984–85 9.4
1985–86 9.6
1986–87 9.4
1 Subject to sampling error.
2 The numbers of school leavers fell in 1973 following the raising of the minimum school leaving age from 15 to 16 in September 1972.