12:30pm Tuesday 3rd November 2009
By Rebecca Lowe
UNIVERSITY uptake has fallen by three per cent in Enfield since 2005 - the sixth largest drop in London.
Statistics released by the Government show that 1,100 students signed up to undergraduate courses in 2007, compared to 1,140 in 2005.
Across London, university uptake actually increased by 6.7 per cent. Only Hackney, Brent, Ealing, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames and Camden showed decreases, with drops of between one and nine per cent.
Conservative Enfield Council leader Mike Rye blamed the low uptake on inadequate funding for poorer students.
He said: "Large parts of the borough live in relative poverty, so it's no surprise they don't want to go onto university if they will leave with £15,000 to £20,000 of debt.
"This is exacerbated by the central Government over-expanding its university places. A target of 50 to 60 per cent of people going to university is frankly a nonsense.
"The Government needs to cut its targets and encourage more people from socially deprived backgrounds to apply by providing a more comprehensive grant system."
David Burrowes, Tory MP for Southgate, made the same argument. He said: "The university applicants of Enfield are facing an extremely tough situation.
"They are applying at a time when universities are deluged with record numbers of applications, when universities are cutting the number of places and at a time where the Government’s wrecked education policies have devalued their qualifications."
However, Joan Ryan, Labour MP for Enfield North, said further data was needed before any conclusions could be drawn from the statistics.
She pointed out that in her constituency, university intake rose from 280 to 515 between 1997 and 2007 - an increase of 84 per cent.
However, only five more 18-year-olds took up a university place in 2007 than 2005 - the slowest rise in ten years.
Ms Ryan said: "I don't think the last three years can be seen as statistically significant as it doesn't represent a trend.
"You need more than just three years to make a judgement. We will need to wait a few more years to see if a trend is indicated.
"It's not impossible, but I would be very surprised.
"The critical thing is that all our kids are doing better, which is a great credit to our teaching and facilities."
Data from the Annual Population Survey shows that 43.97 per cent of Enfield residents currently hold a degree, placing it 48th out of all 628 local authorities nationwide and 23rd in London.
Ten percent of residents have no qualifications at all, placing it 226th.
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