§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what use his Department makes of information about parental higher education experience and social class in predicting demand for higher education.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 15 November 1991]: Our reforms in education are geared to extending opportunity for all pupils and widening access to higher and further education. We have increased the proportion of young Scots going into higher education from one fifth to one quarter over the last 10 years, and we project that the proportion will rise to over 40 per cent. by the end of the decade.
The model for projecting staying on rates takes account of parental education factors but the recent staying-on rate has been rising faster than can be explained by changes in parental education and this is allowed for in the projections.