The chart delineates statistics of full time and part time students of both genders pursuing further education in Britain in three periods. These periods include the academic years of 1970 to 1971, 1980 to 1981, and 1990 to 1991.
Looking from the overall perspective, two trends could be observed. Firstly, the number of part-time students embarking on further education were vastly more than full-time students in all three periods. Secondly, although the aggregate number of female students started off to be less than male students in 1970-71, it rose gradually and surpassed the total male student population in 1990-91.
The male student base experienced changes over the years. Beginning with more than 1.1 million students in 1970-1971, the male student population dropped to slightly less than a million and once again exceeded 1.1 million in 1990-91. While the number of males devoted in part-time education declined from the peak in 1970-71, the multitude of men studying full time had been rising consistently from around 100,000 in 1970-71 to more than 200,000 in 1990-91. This reflects a sustained increase of male students undertaking full-time post-secondary education.
The female student base, regardless of part-time or full-time education, had been growing rapidly across three decades. In particular, the population of female part-time students had an apparent expansion in 1990-91, recording a 1.1 million mark on its own and outnumbering the number of male part-time students for the first time. On the contrary, while the female full-time tertiary student population were enlarging, it remains slightly less than that of male.
In conclusion, the chart shows that a positive and steady educational development with obvious expansion of female adult learners, which outcompeted the male tertiary student population by the first academic year in the 1990s.