The number of white British students in further education fell by 611,400 between 2005-06 and 2007-08, a fall of almost 22 per cent from 2.8 million, according to tables published last week in support of the latest government statistics on post-16 education.
Alan Tuckett, director of the adult learning organisation Niace, said many lost to FE were from poorer backgrounds or excluded because funding for entry-level or taster courses below level 2 had been cut and less well paid staff are offered fewer opportunities for work-based training.
www.thedataservice.org.ukstatistics.
