The bar chart illustrates the number of men and women in further education in Britain across three time periods: 1970/71, 1980/81, and 1990/91. It distinguishes between those studying full-time and part-time.
Overall, both men and women were more involved in part-time education than full-time education during all three periods. However, notable changes in the number of students can be observed over time, especially among women.
For men, part-time education was consistently more popular, with numbers staying relatively stable between 1970/71 and 1990/91. In 1970/71, approximately 1 million men were enrolled in part-time education, and this figure remained around the same in 1990/91. However, there was a slight decline in full-time education for men, from around 100,000 in 1970/71 to nearly the same level in 1990/91.
In contrast, the number of women in further education increased substantially. The number of women in part-time education was lower than men in 1970/71, but by 1990/91, it had surged, surpassing the male figure at just over 1 million. Similarly, the number of women in full-time education more than doubled between 1970/71 and 1990/91, with the most significant increase occurring in the final period, 1990/91, where female full-time enrolments nearly equaled male full-time enrolments.
In summary, while men dominated part-time education across all three periods, the participation of women, particularly in full-time education, saw significant growth by 1990/91, marking a narrowing of the gender gap in further education.