asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years in England and Wales is currently in full-time education; and what are the corresponding figures for each of the past five years.
| England and Wales | |||||||
| (thousands) | |||||||
| 1969–70 | 1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74* | |||
| Numbers aged 16–18 in full-time education | 552·4 | 571·3 | 597·7 | 613·6 | 708·1 | ||
| Percentage of 16–18 age group | … | … | 27·7 | 28·7 | 29·5 | 30·2 | 34·2 |
| * Provisional. | |||||||
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years in Bedfordshire is currently in full-time education; and what are the corresponding figures for each of the last five years.
In 1973–74 there were some 6,250 16–18 year olds in full-time education in Bedfordshire, representing about 31·3 per cent. of the relevant population age group. The numbers at such ages in school in 1973–74 and earlier years were as follows: 1969–70, 3,159; 1970–71, 3,188; 1971–72, 3,545; 1972–73, 3,795 and 1973–74, 4,765. In further education and in teacher training many of the full-time students will be studying outside their normal areas of residence.