Surge in numbers of young people going into higher education
Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, has obtained figures showing the numbers of young people going into higher education in Streatham has risen by 81.7% since 1997.
Up against the competition of emerging nations such as India and China, with their huge resources and aspirations, it is essential that the abilities of every person are realised and the skills of local people developed in response to our changing world.
50% of young people say they want to go to university and figures obtained by Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, show that greater numbers of local people are going into higher education than ever before.
The figures released this week by Higher Education Minister, David Lammy MP, show the numbers of young people from the Streatham parliamentary constituency going into UK higher education increased from 300 in 1997/08 to 545 in 2007/08 – a rise of 81.7%.1
Commenting on the figures, Umunna said:
“I was privileged enough to study law at three universities, both here and in France. The skills and knowledge I gained in the process opened up a world of opportunity and equipped me to go onto to become a solicitor.”
“I want as many people as possible in this area to have the chances I had to acquire the knowledge they need to reach for the sky and achieve their full potential.
“It is fantastic that so many who want to enter high education here are now doing so as a result of a decade of extra investment.”
Commenting on the government’s continued investment in Higher Education, Universities Secretary, John Denham MP, said:
” Universities nurture talented students, challenging them to think critically and preparing them for rewarding careers. They unlock the talent and potential of younger and older people alike.”
“Universities are integral to our national culture and a cohesive society. They create a broad community of learners willing to question conventional wisdom and foster progress, while also nurturing the shared values that bind us together.
Students wishing to start university in autumn 2009 had to complete their applications by 15 January and will hear whether they have been successful by the end of this month.
