Social Care Students (Hansard, 18 April 2002)

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many social care places have been offered by higher education institutions since 1997. [47382]

§ Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The available information, which shows the total number of students on social work courses, is given in the table.

Students¹ on social work² courses at higher education institutions in the UK

1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01

Postgraduate 7,300 8,000 7,400 7,500

Undergraduate 18,400 17,400 18,200 19,900

Total 25,800 25,400 25,500 27,400

¹ Census count as at December 1. Covers home and overseas students, on full-time and part-time courses. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Figures may not sum to totals because of rounding.

² Covers all programmes classed as social work by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but not all of these will lead to a professional qualification.

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students took up places in higher education institutions to study social care courses in(a) 2001, (b) 2000 and (c) 1999; and, of these, how many did not complete their courses. [47383]

§ Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The latest available information on the number of students entering social work courses is given in the table. Figures for 2001–02 will be available at the end of April 2002.

Entrants¹ to social work² courses in higher education institutions in the UK

1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01

Postgraduate 4,000 3,500 3,700

Undergraduate 8,800 9,800 10,000

Total 12,900 13,400 13,700

¹ Covers home and overseas students, on full-time and part-time courses. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Figures may not sum to totals because of rounding.

² Covers all programmes classed as social work by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but not all of these will lead to a professional qualification.

The available information on non-completion rates is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The figures cover full-time first degree courses only, but they are not disaggregated by subject. The latest figures, covering all subjects, show that 17 per cent. of students who began their studies in UK higher education institutions in 1998–99 failed to complete their course.

Students¹ on social work² courses at higher education institutions in the UK
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Postgraduate	7,300	8,000	7,400	7,500
Undergraduate	18,400	17,400	18,200	19,900
Total	25,800	25,400	25,500	27,400
¹ Census count as at December 1. Covers home and overseas students, on full-time and part-time courses. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Figures may not sum to totals because of rounding.
² Covers all programmes classed as social work by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but not all of these will lead to a professional qualification.

Entrants¹ to social work² courses in higher education institutions in the UK
	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Postgraduate	4,000	3,500	3,700
Undergraduate	8,800	9,800	10,000
Total	12,900	13,400	13,700
¹ Covers home and overseas students, on full-time and part-time courses. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Figures may not sum to totals because of rounding.
² Covers all programmes classed as social work by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but not all of these will lead to a professional qualification.