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Higher Education: Mental Health

Volume 463: debated on Monday 3 September 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many young people gave up a university first degree course for mental health reasons in each of the last five years; (152719)

(2) how many students abandoned a university first degree course in each of the last five years;

(3) how many students had their university course terminated prematurely by the university they attend in each of the last five years.

The available information is shown in the table.

UK-domiciled students on first degree courses at English higher education institutions, who left their course

Year student left course

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

Academic failure/left in bad standing/not permitted to progress1

8,080

8,535

8,750

9,150

9,705

Exclusion2

705

395

620

1,125

1,330

Health reasons

1,165

1,215

1,240

1,140

1,150

Abandoned the course3

14,100

14,620

15,285

15,840

16,145

1 Academic failure/left in bad standing/not permitted to progress indicates a fail at any stage, or students who unsuccessfully completed their qualification aim. 2 Exclusion is the breaking of institutional rules, either behavioural or financial. 3 “Abandoned the course” indicates the following categories: financial reasons other personal reasons and dropped out, inactive students written off after lapse of time, gone into employment. Note: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

A further breakdown of “health reasons” to show those who terminated their course due to mental health reasons is not available. Separate information on students, who have been turned away due to the course no longer being taught, is not available.

The Performance Indicators In Higher Education, published by the High Education Statistic Agency (HESA) include an indicator which shows the proportion of UK-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree courses at higher education institutions in England, who are projected to neither obtain an award no transfer to another course. This information is shown in the table.

Proportion of UK-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree courses at higher education institutions in England, who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another course

Percentage

2000-01

15.0

2001-02

13.8

2002-03

13.9

2003-04

14.4

2004-05

13.8

Source: Performance indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA