Press Release: It will take the Government until 2124 to get half of all people into university
On the day new figures show the proportion of young people going to university has flat-lined.
David Willetts, the Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:
“In 1999, the Government set a target of getting 50% of young people into higher education by 2010. But these shocking new figures show they’ve made virtually no progress.
“When the target was set, 39.2% of young people went into higher education. Today, 39.8% of young people do so. Among men, we are actually going backwards.
“At this rate of progress, it will take the Government until 2124 - or another 118 years - to reach the target.
“If we are to succeed in getting more young people to university, then we need to improve standards in our schools and change attitudes to university.”
Notes to Editors
1. National Statistics and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills published new figures on the ‘Participation Rates in Higher Education: Academic Years 1999/2000 - 2006/2007 (Provisional)’
2. These statistics show that the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) for 17-30 year old English domiciled first time participants in Higher Education Courses at UK Higher Education Institutions and English, Welsh and Scottish Further Education Colleges moved from 39.2% to 39.8% between 1999/00 and 2006/07. Among men, it fell from 37.1% to 34.8%.