§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students with special educational needs regularly attend courses run by colleges of further and higher education in England and in each of the English counties.
Mr. JacksonA survey by the National Bureau for Handicapped Students was commissioned in 1985. Its report "Catching-Up?" and DES statistical bulletin 7/87 summarise the results and are in the Library of the House. Figures are not provided for individual counties, but about 44,000 students with special educational needs were attending various courses run by public sector institutions of further and higher education in England. Of these, 17,600 were on mainstream college courses or courses specifically provided for students with special educational needs, 12,500 were enrolled at another institution but attended a college for part of the week, and 13,400 were attending outreach courses run by college staff at other centres. Some of the data are to be updated annually.