Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2018 to Question 123890, for what reasons that answer stated that the Government classes tertiary education as being post-18 education when the Answer of 19 October 2017 to Question 108669 stated tertiary education as being post-16 education.

The internationally recognised understanding of the term tertiary education, in line with the International Standard Classification of Education, corresponds to English qualification levels 4 and above, which are typically taken by those aged 18 and over.

If I may clarify, it was the hon. Member's original question (123890) which referred to tertiary education as being post-16 education. The answer to Question 108669 confirmed the government’s commitment to all post-16 education.