[holding answer 23 April 2007]: The latest available information on young students is given in the tables.
(a) Higher education
Academic year Higher education 1986/87 359,450 1987/88 364,200 1988/89 368,485 1989/90 388,930 1990/91 414,565 1991/92 454,245 1992/93 489,260 1993/94 516,745 1994/95 532,335 1995/96 537,295 1996/97 550,030 1997/98 576,175 1998/99 601,275 1999/2000 617,925 2000/01 622,395 2001/02 627,600 2002/03 635,885 2003/04 646,460 2004/05 3 655,155 2005/06 3 678,350 1 Young refers to students under the age of 21. 2 Includes the Open University. 3 Includes provisional estimates for HE students in further education colleges using 2003/04 data. Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: Universities Statistical Record (USR), the Open University, and the Education Departments of England, Scotland and Wales for the years up to 1993/94; Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Learning and Skills Council, Scottish Executive, and Welsh Assembly for 1994/95 and later years.
(b) Further Education
Academic year Further education 1994/95 625,600 1995/96 631,200 1996/97 676,300 1997/98 672,000 1998/99 645,800 1999/2000 634,100 2000/01 625,000 2001/02 647,100 2002/03 687,100 2003/04 699,200 2004/05 727,100 2005/06 744,000 1 Young refers to students under the age of 19. 2 Prior to 2001 further education provision was funded by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) 3 The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 had the effect of incorporating FE colleges and Sixth Form colleges formerly maintained by LAs making them eligible to receive funds from the FEFC. As a result, data collections changed, and data on enrolments in FE are not available on a comparable basis prior to 1994/95. Source: 1994/95 to 1995/96—FEFC: Student Statistics ISR/SFR22; 1996/97 to 2005/06—LSC Statistical First Release: ILR/SFR11 Further Education, Work Based Learning and Adult and Community Learning—Learner Numbers in England 2005/06.