Written Question · S3W-30612 · Session 3
How many students applied for (a) childcare support, (b) a Lone Parent’s Childcare Grant and (c) a Lone Parent’s Grant in the (i) further a…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students applied for (a) childcare support, (b) a Lone Parent’s Childcare Grant and (c) a Lone Parent’s Grant in the (i) further and (ii) higher education sectors in each of the last three years, broken down by (A) Scottish Parliament constituency, (B) Scottish Parliament region, (C) local authority area and (D) UK Parliament constituency.
The answer
Further Education (FE)
Childcare support for further education students is only available through the FE Childcare Fund. Information on applications to this fund is not held centrally. However, the total number of students supported through this fund is collected from colleges by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Although a collection of individual identifying details of students assisted through this fund is in place, the data quality for previous years is not sufficient to allow a geographical breakdown to be produced. Data collection for academic year 2008-09 is not yet complete. The following table shows the number of students who were assisted through the FE Childcare Fund in academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Table 1: Number of Students Assisted through the FE Childcare Fund
Academic Year
|
2006-07
| 3,255
2007-08
| 3,535
Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC) collection from colleges.
1. Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five: e.g. one, two round to zero; three, four round to five.
Higher Education
Support for higher education (HE) students who are parents is available through the HE Childcare Fund, the Lone Parents'' Grant and Lone Parents'' Childcare Grant. In addition, a small number of students receive support for childcare through the other HE Discretionary Funds though this is not their main purpose. These support streams are mainly for full-time undergraduate or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) students.
Table 2 shows the total number of applications for assistance through the Higher Education (HE) Childcare Fund, the number of instances of assistance through this fund and the number of instances of assistance for childcare through the other HE Discretionary Funds for academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Individual identifying details of students receiving help from the HE Childcare and Discretionary Funds are not held centrally. As it is possible that a student may receive help more than once from each fund there may be a degree of double counting in the management information. We therefore report the number of applications and instances of assistance from each fund rather than the number of students assisted. It is also possible that a student may receive help from more than one fund therefore there may be an additional element of double counting in Table 2. The lack of individual details also means that it is not possible to produce a geographical breakdown of students.
Table 2: Applications for assistance and instances of assistance through the HE Childcare Fund; instances of assistance for childcare support through the other HE Discretionary Funds “ academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08:
Academic
Year
| Applications for Childcare Support through the HE Childcare Fund
| Instances of Assistance for Childcare Support through HE Childcare Fund
| Instances of assistance for childcare support through other Higher Education Discretionary Funds
2006-07
| 1,690
| 1,545
| 33
Childcare support for further education students is only available through the FE Childcare Fund. Information on applications to this fund is not held centrally. However, the total number of students supported through this fund is collected from colleges by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Although a collection of individual identifying details of students assisted through this fund is in place, the data quality for previous years is not sufficient to allow a geographical breakdown to be produced. Data collection for academic year 2008-09 is not yet complete. The following table shows the number of students who were assisted through the FE Childcare Fund in academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Table 1: Number of Students Assisted through the FE Childcare Fund
Academic Year
|
2006-07
| 3,255
2007-08
| 3,535
Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC) collection from colleges.
1. Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five: e.g. one, two round to zero; three, four round to five.
Higher Education
Support for higher education (HE) students who are parents is available through the HE Childcare Fund, the Lone Parents'' Grant and Lone Parents'' Childcare Grant. In addition, a small number of students receive support for childcare through the other HE Discretionary Funds though this is not their main purpose. These support streams are mainly for full-time undergraduate or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) students.
Table 2 shows the total number of applications for assistance through the Higher Education (HE) Childcare Fund, the number of instances of assistance through this fund and the number of instances of assistance for childcare through the other HE Discretionary Funds for academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Individual identifying details of students receiving help from the HE Childcare and Discretionary Funds are not held centrally. As it is possible that a student may receive help more than once from each fund there may be a degree of double counting in the management information. We therefore report the number of applications and instances of assistance from each fund rather than the number of students assisted. It is also possible that a student may receive help from more than one fund therefore there may be an additional element of double counting in Table 2. The lack of individual details also means that it is not possible to produce a geographical breakdown of students.
Table 2: Applications for assistance and instances of assistance through the HE Childcare Fund; instances of assistance for childcare support through the other HE Discretionary Funds “ academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08:
Academic
Year
| Applications for Childcare Support through the HE Childcare Fund
| Instances of Assistance for Childcare Support through HE Childcare Fund
| Instances of assistance for childcare support through other Higher Education Discretionary Funds
2006-07
| 1,690
| 1,545
| 33
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S3W-30612 by reference.