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Proposed Change of Definition of Student Population: Consultation
Background
1. For most people who study in Scotland it is clear whether they should be counted in the student population of a given academic year or not. However there are a number of categories (see below) for which inclusion in the count is debatable.
2. The Scottish Executive have used a consistent rule for deciding whether a student should be counted since 1994-95. The resulting count has in recent years more and more diverged from counts used by others.
3. One large group of students that are treated differently are people enrolled on courses delivered by Scottish Universities abroad. As a result of the Student Record Review HESA will from academic year 2007-08 no longer collect individual information for those overseas students. It is therefore necessary for the Scottish Executive to change the definition of the student count. This provides the opportunity for a more comprehensive review.
Proposal
4. HESA have since 2000-01 used a "Standard Registration Population". All other government departments and Funding Bodies have now converted to this definition.
5. It is proposed to use the Standard Registration Population as the basis for future publications on students in Scotland.
Extent of the differences
6. The table shows the calculations necessary to move from the current Scottish Executive count to the proposed count for students at Higher Education Institutions :
Academic Year | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
|---|
Scottish Executive count | 216,615 | 224,530 | 234,270 |
|---|
Subtract † students studying for whole programme to date outside the UK | -10,910 | -13,230 | -18,590 |
|---|
Subtract † students whose course year does not fit into the standard 1 August to 31 July period and who left or suspended studies in the current reporting period (this results in those students being counted in their first part year but not their last part year) | -7,530 | -9,315 | -8,670 |
|---|
Add ? writing up and sabbatical students | +6,505 | +7,840 | +7,995 |
|---|
Add ? outgoing ERASMUS/ SOCRATES students | +830 | +915 | +875 |
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HESA Standard Registration Population | 205,515 | 210,740 | 215,880 |
|---|
Net difference | -11,100 | -13,790 | -18,385 |
|---|
Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5
† These students are currently included by the Scottish Executive count, but excluded by the HESA count
? These students are currently excluded by the Scottish Executive, but included in the HESA count
Other proposed changes
7. It is proposed to change from 2000-01 onwards the definition of:
- Entrants - to be based on the HESA definition (using date of commencement of studies rather than whether in first year),
- Graduates - excluding those studying overseas but including dormant students.
- Subjects - from 2001-02 the coding system for subjects was changed and the new JACS system is used by the Scottish Executive on the basis of single or main subject studied; it proposed to distribute students studying a combination of subjects, so that someone studying a balanced combination of mathematics and physics will be counted half in each subject
- Open University - it is proposed to include Scottish domiciled students at the Open University into the count of students at Scottish institutions.
Headcounts
8. Although student counts are presented by HESA as counts of people, they are in fact counts of study instances, and students are counted once for each qualification aim they pursue. There are around 2,500 students in Scotland at HEIs that are registered as undertaking two qualifications in the same academic year. In addition students changing university may be counted twice.
9. Higher Education Students in FECs may also undertake two courses concurrently or consecutively in the same academic year. A matching exercise by name and date of birth showed there were about 4,000 students in that category (8%).
10. It is proposed to continue reporting, in standard publications, students as (more correctly) study instances for the following reasons:
- the removal of duplicate persons would only affect some of the tables; tables by subject for example could not be adjusted
- the method of spotting duplicates would be subject to interpretation and would introduce a level of uncertainty into the standard statistics that is not justified by the magnitude of duplication
- it would make the Executive's HE statistics inconsistent with those produced by other bodies
- the solution for HEIs and FEC would still only be partial as other forms of learning (at work, with a private provider) cannot currently be included.
Implementation
11. It is proposed to implement the change for students from academic year 2006-07, to be published by the Executive in Spring 2008. Time series would be produced in the new definition from 2000-01 onwards, giving a 6 year series next year, from around the start time of the Scottish Parliament. We will make efforts to generate longer time series for the key counts.
12. The proposal only applies to the standard publications by the Scottish Executive. Ad-hoc analysis for specific purposes can be undertaken to other definitions.
Consultation questions (please respond by 1 July 2007)
Do you have comments or suggestions about moving the Scottish Executive count of students in Higher Education Institutions to the Standard Registration Population used in other parts of the UK?
Do you have comments or suggestions about the Other Proposed Changes?
Please send comments to:
Gerhard Mors - tel: 0141 248 5488
Andrew Walker - e-mail: Andrew.Walker@Scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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