Examination of Witnesses (Questions 160-165)
DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES
AND SKILLS
& HIGHER EDUCATION
FUNDING COUNCIL
FOR ENGLAND
29 OCTOBER 2007
Q160 Mr Williams: It is not fair
to bounce it on you in this way. If you do us a note on the £100,000
and one explaining the drift from the £120,000 that the Department
was using to the £100,000 that PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded,
that will give us some idea, just as a matter of interest, and
will mean that someone going into University life has an idea
of whether they might find it better to do other things.
Q161 Mr Bacon: I wonder whether you
can send us a note, Ms Thompson, to follow up from Mr Davidson's
question about public schools. There has been some publicity in
the newspapers about the increased percentage of applicants to
do French at university who come from public schools, for the
simple reason that in many state schools they have stopped teaching
French A-level. I would be interested if you could send us two
notes, one for public schools and one for state schools, that
set out—
Chairman: Independent schools, you mean?
Mr Bacon: I mean for independent schools
and for state schools, to set out the highest percentage of applicants
in any given subject. It might read, for the sake of argument,
French, followed by dentistry, followed by mathematics, with the
highest percentage at the top and then going downwards. I would
like that for independent schools and the same thing, with whichever
subjects apply, for state schools. In so doing, could you split
them up so that instead of saying modern languages, it says French,
and instead of saying mathematics and computing science,
it says maths, so that it is as clear as possible which subject
you are talking about where the applicants are highest from state
schools and from independent schools?
Ruth Thompson: Yes, we can undertake
to provide you with a note. I am slightly nervous about whether
we can do the disaggregation that you are asking for, but we will
do our very best. [11]
Q162 Mr Bacon: We read "European
languages, Literature and related subjects", or "Languages
and Literature", which cover a multitude of different things,
including studying hermeneutics at the polytechnic of North London,
or whatever they call it at the moment, or studying French at
Cambridge. I want the disaggregation so that we can understand
what is going on.
Ruth Thompson: Yes. Understood.
Q163 Chairman: Thank you. It is getting
late, but I should like a couple of notes. We see in paragraphs
3.26 and 3.27 that students with disabilities are having problems
getting the disabled students' allowances, and I would like a
note on that and what you are doing to sort it out, please. We
were briefed by the NAO before the meeting that apparently you
were not aware of that. [12]
I should also like a note on how you expect
the increase in tuition fees to affect retention, please.
Ruth Thompson: That would be a
prospective note. It would have to be a speculative note at this
stage, as it is much too early to say. [13]
Q164 Chairman: I just want to put
it on the record in case we wish to refer to it in our Report.
Mr Bacon: A premature note.
Ruth Thompson: Yes. The one thing
that I can say is that the independent commission that is to be
established in 2009 to examine the impact of the variable fees
regime of 2006, as part of the terms of reference set out in 2004,
will have the remit to consider its impact on continuation and
completion.
Q165 Mr Williams: As we are in note-writing
mode, may I also ask for an explanation of the basis for the 50%
figure? That will give you a chance to consider it in more detail.
Thank you. [14]
Chairman: Professor, Ms Thompson, thank
you very much.
11 Ev 23-28 Back
12
Ev 28 Back
13
Ev 28 Back
14
Ev 29-30 Back
| 
