The chart indicates how many men and women in Britain were enrolled in tertiary education in three periods – 1970/71, 1980/81, and 1990/91 – and whether their studies were full or part-time.
It is clear from the chart that in all periods there were more men and women studying full-time than part-time. However, while the number of women studying all types of course increased significantly over the periods shown, the number of men studying full-time decreased moderately
With respect to part-time education, the number of men doubled over the period, rising from 100000 in 1970/71 to 200000 by 1990/91. The number of women studying in this way was also around 200000, which was substantially higher than the figure of 40000 in 1970/71.
As for full-time studying, there was considerable growth in the number of women, with the figure climbing from 700000 to 1.1 million, which was the highest level in any period for any kind of studying. On the other hand, the number of men studying full-time dropped from 1 million to about 800000 between 1970/71 and 1980/81, although it then rose again to 900000 in 1990/91, resulting in a decline of 100000 over the whole period.