§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the reasons why 10 per cent. of the pupils who achieve two A level passes do not go into higher education. [147015]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Youth Cohort Study shows that around nine in 10 young people who achieve two or more A-levels by the age of 18 progress to Higher Education by the time they are 21.
Research published by the Department in 2001 ("Social Class and Higher Education: Issues Affecting Participation by Lower Social Class groups" Connor, H. at al DfEE Research Report No. 246) looked at the factors affecting participation in HE by different social class groups. It found that among those who were qualified to enter higher education but had decided against going, the main reasons were because they wanted to start work, because they did not need a higher education qualification for their chosen career or because of the expected costs involved.
In addition, the Youth Cohort Study identified other reasons for choosing not to enter HE:
to earn money and become financially independent;not achieving the grades for their chosen course;self belief, with young people thinking they could not get in or they would find higher education too difficult.;lack of interest.Other research has identified ethnicity, housing tenure and parental education as significantly affecting the decision to enter higher education.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has commissioned into the effects of tuition fees on medical manpower planning. [149759]
§ Alan JohnsonI have not commissioned such research. Since the introduction of tuition fees in 1998, demand for places on medical courses has continued to outstrip significantly the number of places, despite an increase in the number of places available. Between 1999 and 2001, plans for some 2,250 more medical school places in the UK were announced. As a result of the extra investment, the number of students entering medical school will increase to over 7,300 in 2005. The number of UK applicants to study medicine at UK universities is also at its highest since 1986 (the earliest year for which data is available).
We do not anticipate any significant impact on demand for medical courses after the introduction of variable fees. The Department of Health will, however, be monitoring demand for, and take-up of, places on medical courses. Department of Health Ministers have made it clear that they will, if necessary, take measures to ensure that any increase in the level of tuition fees will not have an adverse impact on the supply, retention, diversity or quality of students on health professional courses, including medicine.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has commissioned into the repayment of tuition fees by women medical students. [149760]
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§ Alan JohnsonI have not commissioned such research. Medical students do not have to repay student loans until they graduate and earn over £15,000 per year. Doctors earn considerably in excess of the national average: a newly qualified GP can expect to earn over £45,000, and will receive considerably more than that in time. Consultants will earn even more. So medical graduates will be able to pay off their student loan for living costs and for tuition fees comparatively rapidly.
If, despite the high salary levels generally, some doctors who work part time or take career breaks pay off their student loans more slowly, the student support proposals announced by my right. hon. Friend on 8 January are helpful. The Government intend to write-off outstanding student loan balances after 25 years. This will apply to those entering HE from 2006 and cover maintenance and fee loans.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the number of higher education students who will be affected by the introduction of top-up fees. [149774]
§ Alan JohnsonThe number of students affected by variable fees will depend on a wide range of factors, including decisions on fee levels to be taken by institutions providing higher education to full time undergraduates.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he will require universities charging higher than average variable fees to pay their academic staff more. [149947]
§ Alan JohnsonHigher education institutions are responsible for their own academic and administrative affairs, including pay for their staff. The Government plays no part in setting levels of pay in the higher education sector. Universities themselves are the best judges of how to deploy the funding they receive.
§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the current higher education participation rate in England is with respect to people under the age of 30. [149509]
§ Alan Johnson[holding answer 20 January 2004]The current Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) is 43.9 per cent. for 2001/02.
The HEIPR covers English-domiciled 17 to 30-year-old first-time entrants to Higher Education courses who remain on their course for six months or more.
The HEIPR will replace the Initial Entry Rate (IER) as the way that we measure progress toward 50 per cent. A time-series of HEIPR figures will be published in Spring 2004.
The IER was recently quality-reviewed under guidelines issued by the Office for National Statistics. The review (published in November 2003) concluded that the IER was -basically robust"1 but highlighted some minor shortcomings which the HEIPR corrects for. More detail can be found in the report of the review, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
140WAn Age Participation Index (API) also exists for Great Britain—though does not include students aged over 20 or part-time students. The current figure for 2001/02 is 35 per cent.
1 Review of the Initial Entry Rate into Higher Education, DfES, p6