Student Wastage Mr. Redwood To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the (a) drop-out and (b) failure rate for young people attempting level 3 qualifications was in the most recent period for which figures are available. Mr. Lammy The Learning and Skills Council collect data on learners enrolling on level 3 qualifications in further education (in general further education and tertiary colleges, sixth form colleges and external institutions). Drop-out and failure rates are not calculated, but retention rates and success rates are shown in Table 1 for those aged 16 to 18 studying towards a level 3 qualification with expected end year 2005/06. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Qualification Type |Starts (excluding transfers)|Success rate1 (percentage)|Retention rate2 (percentage)| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |A Level |6,400 |78 |87 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |A2 |212,600 |92 |95 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |AS |414,600 |75 |88 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |GNVQ |27,000 |70 |76 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |NVQ |9,900 |70 |81 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Other long qualifications |145,200 |67 |77 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Short: 5 to 24 weeks |15,200 |77 |93 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Short: Less than 5 weeks |1,500 |84 |98 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 Success rate is calculated as the number of aims achieved as a percentage of starts. 2 Retention rate is calculated as the number completing as a percentage of starts. Source: Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record.| | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equivalent data for those studying A/AS/A2 levels at school are not available. Student numbers achieving A levels in schools and colleges are reported in the DCSF Achievement and Attainment Tables, but different methodologies and timescales are used. Table 2 shows A level results of students aged 16 to 18 in schools and colleges taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR): GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England (consistent with the Achievement and Attainment Tables data). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total entries|Ungraded, no award (absent/declined) and pending (percentage)| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2005/06 |715,072 |2.9 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2006/07 |720,083 |2.7 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |1 Age at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August. Source: GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2005/06 and 2006/07.| | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------