ABSTRACT
Women's vocational education has a long, if unacknowledged, history in England and Wales. It is now generally provided in one of two ways after a secondary school education. It may comprise part of the local education authority's further education provision. Increasingly it is being supplied through the various schemes (run by the Manpower Services Commission) that attempt to cope with the growth in youth unemployment. Except in specific areas such as medicine or veterinary science, 'higher education' at first degree level in Britain is not generally concerned with directly vocational courses. This chapter analyses the position of women and girls as students in non-advanced further education. Throughout this chapter the term 'further education' refers to that sector of the public education system in England and Wales that is maintained by the local education authority but not conducted under school regulations. 'Non-advanced further education' refers to courses up to and including GCE A level (matriculation), or its equivalent, and 'advanced further education' to full-or part-time higher diploma, degree or degree level courses outside the universities and colleges of education.
