§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of young people who are profoundly deaf went into further and higher education in each of the last three years. [56491]
§ John Healey[holding answer 16 May 2002]: Figures for people entering further or higher education who are profoundly deaf are not available, although we can provide those recorded as having a hearing impairment.
The number of people in England registered as deaf or hard of hearing with their local authority, at 31 March 2001, is 194,840. However the true number of people in England with mild, moderate, severe or profound deafness is likely to be much more and was estimated by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People in 1996 to be 7,243,000.
The number of people in Further Education recorded as having a hearing impairment is not available before 2000–01. Figures for 2000–01 are as follows:
Numbers in Further Education (FE) in England Numbers in England recorded as having a hearing impairment as their main disability1 All ages 3,537,620 9,291 Aged 16–18 inclusive2 621,542 1,217 1 Based upon the students' own self-assessments 2 Age as at 31 August Source:
Individualised Student Records collected by the Lerning and Skills Council on 31 July 2001
The numbers of people in English domiciles, at UK Higher Education Institutions, recorded as deaf/having a hearing impairment are as follows:
Number starting Higher Education (HE)1 Number starting HE recorded as "deaf/have a hearing impairment"2 1998–99 All ages 555,300 1,320 Aged 16–18 inclusive3 120,200 190 1999–2000 All ages 554,400 1,340 Aged 16–18 inclusive3 118,200 220 2000–01 All ages 567,300 1,530 Aged 16–18 inclusive3 117,300 250 1 A census count of England domiciled students on the first year of higher education courses in UK HE institutions, as at 1 December, rounded to nearest 100. 2 Based upon the students' own self-assessments, rounded to nearest 10. 3 Age as at 31 August. Source:
July Student Records collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)