HC Deb 27 February 2004 vol 418 cc586-7W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information his Department collates on the relationship between an individual's first secondary school attended and the likelihood of attending university by the age of(a) 20, (b) 25 and (c) 30 years of age; and if he will make a statement. [155622]

Alan Johnson

[holding answer 25 February 2004]Cohort 8 of the Youth Cohort Survey (YCS) provides the most recent data for participation in higher education at ages 18 to 19 and 20 to 21 by an individual's secondary school type (pre 16).

Percentage
School type Participation rate at 18 to 19 Participation rate at 20 to 21
State 25 41
Independent 52 82
Source:
Youth Cohort Study: Cohort 8, Sweep 2 (1998) and 3 (2000).

Research published by the Department in 2003: "An Econometric Analysis of the Demand for Higher Education" by Gayle, V. Berridge, D. and Davies, R. B. (DfES Research Report 472) uses data from cohort 9 of the YCS and shows that after controlling for the effects of GCSE and A level attainment, a number of factors (including Year 11 schooling) have statistically significant effects on the likelihood of an individual attending university at age 18.

The report can be accessed on the Department's research publications website: www.dfes.gov.uk/research