MINISTERS MUST SAY GOODBYE MR CHIPS AND HELLO MS DYNAMITE

12.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Apr 2004

New figures revealed by Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes today show London Boroughs have massive variations in the number of young people that go into Higher education. Every London borough in London, except City of London, has a participation rate lower than the England average of 43% going on to higher education.

The figures revealed in Parliamentary Answers show that the Education Authorities in London with the worst rate for school pupils going into Higher Education are:-

· Hackney with 12.2% of pupils entering higher education

· Barking with 13.6% of pupils entering higher education

· Greenwich with 14.3% entering higher education

· Tower Hamlets with 14.6% entering higher education

· Havering with 15.5% entering higher education

Simon said:

"It is vital for London that as many of our young people go into some form of Higher Education. In many Boroughs this is simply not happening.

"The UK already has one of the worst staying on rates for school leavers anywhere in the Western world. Unless innovative, inventive and invigorating ways of teaching are found, many more will slip through the net and into the group that are not in education, employment or training.

"The syllabus in schools must involve young people in ways that reflect their experiences. London must say goodbye to Mr Chips and hello to Ms Dynamite."

ENDS

Figures taken from Hansard 12 Mar 2004 : Column 1783W

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) participation rates in and (b) drop out rates from higher education were in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local education authority.

Alan Johnson: Participation rates at constituency level are not held centrally. The available information on participation rates by Local Education Authority (LEA) is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18-year-old applicants who were accepted to full time undergraduate courses in the UK. Figures for the latest year are in the table.

Figures can be obtained from Richard Stokoe 0207 227 1326