The bar charts illustrate the number of men and women participating in further education in Britain across three periods: 1970/71, 1980/81, and 1990/91, categorised by full-time and part-time study.
Overall, while the number of males in full-time education fluctuated, the number of females in both full-time and part-time education experienced a consistent upward trend throughout the period. Notably, by 1990/91, the number of women in full-time education surpassed that of men.
Regarding males, the number of full-time students began at 1,000 in 1970/71, dipped to 850 in 1980/81, and recovered to 900 by 1990/91. Conversely, male part-time participation showed a steady increase, rising from 100 to 200 over the two decades.
For females, the growth was more pronounced. Full-time female students increased from 700 in 1970/71 to 800 in 1980/81, reaching a peak of 1,100 by 1990/91. Similarly, part-time female students saw a significant rise from 50 in 1970/71 to 180 in 1980/81, before plateauing at 200 in 1990/91. By the final period, female full-time enrolment was significantly higher than the male equivalent, whereas part-time figures for both genders converged at 200.