§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collates on the educational attainments of young people with disabilities and special educational needs compared with their peer group, with particular reference to(a) qualifications attained and (b) access to higher education. [20952]
§ Mr. Ivan Lewis[holding answer 6 December 2001]: The primary source of information on the activities and attainment of young people in the years immediately after completing compulsory education is the Youth Cohort Study (YCS). A question designed to identify those with a current long-term disability or health problem as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was introduced in the 1998 YCS surveys. Questions on Special Educational Needs (SENs) were included in the most recent survey of 16-year-olds in 2000.
Key results from the YCS are published in Statistical First Releases (SFRs). The tables include information on attainment and participation in higher education for those with and without a long-term disability or health problem.
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§ Margaret HodgeThe available information is shown in the following table.
DfES SFRs are available in the House of Commons Library and on the DfES website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics/DB/SFR/.
In response to the call for more information in the 1997 Green Paper "Excellence for all children: meeting special educational needs" the Department has commissioned a longitudinal piece of research about the experiences of young people with SEN once they have left school.
The study looks at the experiences, achievements, and attitudes of young people with SEN during their transition from secondary education to early adult life. It aims to identify barriers to further education, training, employment and independent living.