Thenumberofpeoplechoosingtostudypart-timeinEnglandhasdecreasedby40%inthepasttwoyears–theequivalent(等同的)of105000fewerstudentsaccordingtoastudy.Almosthalfamillions

　　Thenumberofpeoplechoosingtostudypart-timeinEnglandhasdecreasedby40%inthepasttwoyears–theequivalent(等同的)of105000fewerstudentsaccordingtoastudy.Almosthalfamillionstudentswerestudyingpart-timeinthepasttwoyearswithmostofthemworkingatthesametimeandstudyingvocationalsubjectsaccordingtoUniversitiesUK(UUK)whichconductedtheresearch.Thereportwhichwasrequestedbyministerssaysthatthereasonsforthedropincludepressuresonemployerschangesinthewaysthatpeoplegethighereducationshiftsinthepopulationandatougheconomicclimate.Butitalsosuggeststhatthegovernment’sdecisiontoincreasetuitionfeestoamaximumof£9000haveplayedapart.

　　Thestudysays“Thereseemstobemanyfactorsresponsibleforit:thecurrenteconomicclimatelimitingemployersupportforfurtherstudyandputtingpressureonhouseholdbudgetschangingpathwaystohighereducationandthecurrentchangestothefundingsysteminEnglandandassociatedincreaseinfees.Factorssuchastheriseofapprenticeships(学徒制)increaseinprivateproviders(whetherforprofitornot-for-profit)andashifttoonlinelearningalsohaveanimpact.”

　　ProfessorSirEricThomaschairmanofthereviewandvice-presidentofBristolUniversitysaid“TherealityisthattheUKneedsmoregraduatesandreliesheavilyonpart-timehighereducationtomeetthesefastchangingskillneedsinafastchangingworld.Weignorepart-timestudy’stransformativepowerforindividualsandsociety.“Whilepart-timestudentsareagreatsuccessstoryfortheUKsomethingisgoingwrong.InEnglandinparticularnumbersarereducinganddonotlooklikerecovering.Thesituationishighlycomplex.Thisreviewisthebeginningofaprocessofuniversitiesworkingtogetherandwithpartnerstotakestepsindealingwiththisissue.Wecannotandmustnotgiveuponthesestudents.”

　　ProfessorLesEbdondirectoroffairaccesstohighereducationsaid“The40%declineinpart-timestudywe’veseenoverrecentyearsisaseriousmatterparticularlyaspart-timestudentsaremorelikelytocomefromgroupsthatarecurrentlyunder-representedinhighereducation.”KatjaHallCBIchiefpolicydirectorsaid“It’sshockingthatthenumberofpart-timeundergraduatestudentsha