Age 16/18 school leavers data

Summary

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded to a request for 2017 school leaver data by age 16 and 18, stating that most information was not held or required substantial compilation to retrieve.

Key Facts

• The request covered students from 5 state high schools and UCM for the academic year ending summer 2017.
• Data on students who went to work or became unemployed is not held by the Department.
• Data on A-Level progression is currently being compiled by schools and was not available at the time of response.
• The Department suggested contacting the Treasury's Income Tax or Social Security divisions for employment and unemployment data.
• Apprenticeship data for 18-year-olds is also not held by the Department.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-10-15
• 2017-10-27
• 2017
• end of January 2018
• mid-November 2017
• IM106859I
• 5 state high schools
• UCM

Exemptions Cited

• s11(3)(a) of the Act (information not held)
• s11(3)(b) of the Act (practical refusal due to research/compilation requirements)
• s8(3)(b) (undertake research into, or analysis of, information)
• s8(3)(c) (undertake substantial compilation or collation of information)

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

27 October 2017

Dear

Re: Freedom of Information Request – Reference Number IM106859I

Your Request:-

For the academic year ending in summer 2017 could the department supply the following information:

1. Of students reaching the age of 16 within the 5 state high schools and therefore able to leave school what was the total number and distribution of these students into the following categories: a) Left education and went to work b) Left education and became unemployed c) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) at the same school d) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) not at the same school

2. Of students reaching the age of 18 within the 5 state high schools or UCM and therefore able to leave school what was the total number and distribution of these students into the following categories: a) Left education and went to work b) Left education and became unemployed c) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) at the same school d) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) not at the same school e) Went on to an Apprenticeship Scheme f) Went on to study a higher qualification at UCM g) Went on to study a higher qualification at a Higher Education Institution outside the Isle of Man

Department Response Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, the Department is not able to provide all of the information requested as practical refusal reasons apply in most of the cases
as detailed below:-

Department of Education and Children

Rheynn Ynsee as Paitchyn

Chief Executive Officer Ronald Barr

Department of Education and Children Hamilton House Peel Road Douglas IM1 5EZ

Students reaching the age of 16 within the 5 state high schools:-

1a) Left education and went to work A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) of the Act as this Department does not hold, and is not required to hold details on students who have gone on to work.
This information may be obtainable by contacting the Income Tax Division of the Treasury to seek a breakdown of persons aged 16 who are paying ITIP and are therefore deemed to be working (if such analysis is possible)

1b) Left education and became unemployed
A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) of the Act as this Department does not hold, and is not required to hold details on students who became unemployed. This information may be obtainable by contacting the Social Security Division of the Treasury to seek a breakdown of persons aged 16 who are in receipt of unemployment benefits, on the basis of their unemployed status (if such analysis is possible)

1c) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) at the same school
1d) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) not at the same school A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) and (b) of the Act as this Department does not currently hold the information requested as this data is still being worked on by Schools and should be available by the end of January 2018 (for the Year 11 summer cohort).

To expedite the provision of this information would require the Department to do something it is not required to do (s11(3) (b)), i.e.:-  s8(3)(b)undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds
 s8(3)(c)undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds

Work is already underway to compile this information.

Students reaching the age of 18 within the 5 state high schools or UCM:-

2a) Left education and went to work A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) of the Act as this Department does not hold, and is not required to hold details on students who have gone on to work.
This information may be obtainable by contacting the Income Tax Division of the Treasury to seek a breakdown of persons aged 18 who are paying ITIP and are therefore deemed to be working (if such analysis is possible)

2b) Left education and became unemployed A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) of the Act as this Department does not hold, and is not required to hold details on students who became unemployed. This information may be obtainable by contacting the Social Security Division of the Treasury to seek a breakdown of persons aged 18 who are in receipt of unemployment benefits, on the basis of their unemployed status (if such analysis is possible)

2c) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) at the same school
2d) Went on to study A-Levels (or equivalents) not at the same school A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) and (b) of the Act as the Department does not currently hold the information requested as this data is still being worked on by Schools and should be available by mid-November 2017 (for the Year 13 summer cohort).

To expedite the provision of this information would require the Department to do something it is not required to do (s11(3) (b)), i.e.:-  s8(3)(b) undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds
 s8(3)(c) undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds

Work is already underway to compile this information.

2e) Went on to an Apprenticeship Scheme
A practical refusal reason applies under s11(3)(a) of the Act as this Department does not hold, and is not required to hold details on students aged 18 who have gone on to an apprenticeship. This information may be obtainable by contacting the Employment Skills Section of the Department of Economic Development to seek details (if such analysis is possible)

However in respect of 2f and 2g, the Department can advise as follows:-

2f) Went on to study a higher qualification* at UCM 37 students aged 18/19 went on to study a higher qualification at UCM.

2g) Went on to study a higher qualification* at a Higher Education Institution outside the Isle of Man+ 293 students aged 18/19 went on to study a higher qualification outside the Isle of Man

(*NB Higher qualification for the purposes of this response is taken as meaning a qualification at Level 4 or higher.)

(+ NB As student awards funding for off-Island places is subject to means testing, then it is likely that a number of students attending courses outside the IOM whose parents’ income levels are outside of the scope of assistance under the support schemes would be self-funding. These students would not need to apply to the Department and no records are therefore held.)

The information provided within this response letter will also be published on the Government website in due course should you wish to revisit the information.

If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a Review/Complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to:

Mr Andrew Shipley, Legal and Administration Manager, Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5EZ.

An electronic version of our Review/Complaint form can be found by going to https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/

Your Review/Complaint request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been conducted.

Appeal Process

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1

Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or 2

Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your rights to review is on the Information Commissioner’s website at https://www.inforights.im/contact-us/

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi

Yours sincerely