STATISTICAL TRENDS - ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE TRAINING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Desmond Keegan
Distance Education International Ltd
Chapter 47
Statistical trends

Context

As a contribution to the development of knowledge in this field, volume 1 of the final reports provided 253 sets of statistics to enable planners and decision makers make informed decisions about the field.

For each of the 16 countries (with Belgium being counted twice) statistics were provided for each of the 4 sectors into which the study is divided, for the years 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 (with Austria, Finland and Sweden being omitted in 1994).

In this chapter the correctness of the figures for 1994, 1995 and 1996 is analysed and figures are provided for 1997, from which trends are commented upon.

Definitions are given for the composition of the statistics for each of the 64 cells.

Detailed figures:
Enrolment Statistics 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
Provision by Distance University, Conventional University, Government training and Proprietary Training.

Cell 1 Government Distance Training in Austria

Definition:
This cell defined as the Austrian Centre for Self-Study and Distance Training, plus those members of the Austrian Distance Training Association which are of a public rather than a private native.
Statistical Trends:
No data were recorded for 1993 - '94 when Austria was not a member of the European Union. Data from 1995 - '97 show a gradual increase. This should be regarded as a more accurate collection of statistical data, especially with regard to the provision of training by the Austrian Army, rather than an increase in enrolments.

Cell 2 Proprietary distance training in Austria.

Definition:
This cell comprises the members of the Austrian Distance Training Association, which are of a private rather than a public nature, and the institutions which are not members of this association, the largest of which is the Humboldt Institute.
Statistical Trends
Figures from 1995 - '97 should be regarded as stable, as the differences between them represent changes in the allocation of the enrolment statistics between the government and the private sector, rather than a change in enrolment patterns.

Cell 3 Open University in Austria.

There is no open university in Austria.

Cell 4 Conventional university distance education provision in Austria

Definition:
Provision of vocational education at a distance from a conventional university from courses developed by an Austrian university.
Statistical Trends:
Research by Voctade project in co-operation with experts from Austrian universities leads to the conclusion that for the period covered by the Voctade Study 1994 - '97 there were no courses developed by Austrian universities offered for certification at a distance. Any enrolment of Austrian citizens in distance education at university level is provided by the Fernuniversität in Hagen or the Open University of the U.K.

Cell 5 Government Distance Training in the Flemish Community in Belgium.

Definition:
This cell is composed of the Bestuur Afstandsonderweijs, the distance education service of the Department of Education of Flanders, and other official offerings of distance education in Flanders.
Statistical Trends:
The statistic given for 1994 - 95 is incorrect. The researchers who produced those statistics were given information from official sources in Flanders about technology based courses run by the Federation of Employment Opportunity training Centres (FETOC), the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service (VADB), and the Training Centres for the Self-employed (CMO). The Voctade Study has established the figure in the text, which is the figure for the Bestuur Afstandonderweijs. Therefore the figure is stable between 25,000 and 26,000 per year.

Cell 6 Proprietary distance training provision in the Flemish community in Belgium.

Statistical Trends:
The figure given in the 1994 study is incorrect. The figure given for 1995 is most likely too high. The figures for 1996 and 1997 are accurate.

Cell 7 Open university in the Flemish Community in Belgium

The figure given for 1994 is the figure for enrolments for the STOHO which was a grouping of conventional universities for the provision of distance education courses at university level, mainly from the Open Universiteit at Heerlen  in the Netherlands. StOHO was disbanded by the government of Flanders in 1997. The 1994 figure should have been recorded as part of Cell 8.

Cell 8 Provision of university level training at a distance from a conventional university in the Flemish Community in Belgium

The 1994 statistic from Cell 7 should be transferred to cell 8. This is rectified in the 1995 statistics. The drop from 1996 to 1997 shows the impending and eventual decision of the Flanders government to disband the STOHO, and the minimum amount of provision which remains in 1997.

Cell 9 Government training provision at a distance in the French speaking Community in Belgium

This figure represents the Enseignement à distance in Belgium. The figure given for 1994 refers to the number of enrolments. The figures from 1995 - '97 refers to number of people enrolled, and should be regarded as accurate.

Cell 10 Proprietary Distance Training in the French speaking Community in Belgium

Statistical Trends:
The figure for 1994 should be regarded as accurate.

Cell 11 Open university in the French Speaking Community in Belgium

There is no open university in the French Speaking Community in Belgium.

Cell 12 Training at a distance from conventional universities in the French speaking Community in Belgium

Extensive research was undertaken by the Voctade study, in conjunction with the University of Liège, to establish the figure for the provision of Vocational education and training at a distance for degree credit from conventional universities in the French speaking community in Belgium. It is considered that the figures from 1994 -1997 are accurate.

Cell 13 Government Distance Training in Denmark

Definition:
The figure for this cell represents the figure for the Danish military academy for distance education and that part of the Merkonor Programme which is taught at a distance.
Statistical Trends:
The figure for 1994 is wrong. It represents the figure of the Merkonor programme as communicated to the researchers. Further research showed that the number of students in the Merkonor open learning programme who studied at a distance within a definition that would parallel the provision of distance training in the rest of Europe Union, would be less than 2,000. This figure is under-represented by the 1995 and the 1996 figures. These underestimate, in particular, the size of the military distance education programme.

Cell 14 Proprietary distance training provision in Denmark

Statistical Trends:
The statistics for the four years studied can be regarded as reasonably accurate.

Cell 15 Open University in Denmark

There is no Open University in Denmark.

Cell 16 Distance education from a conventional University in Denmark

Definition:
This cell is comprised of the:
Statistical Trends:
The figures from 1994 - '97 should be considered as accurate with greater research funding establishing the 1997 figure. The accuracy of this last figure should be a guide to the other figures.

Cell 17 Government distance training in Finland

No data was collected for 1994, as Finland was not a Member of the European Union. The figure for 1995 - '97 is the figure for non-university colleges providing courses at a distance.

Cell 18 Proprietary distance training provision in Finland

No data was collected for 1994. The figures for 1995 and '96 represent the sector as reported at that time. However, more extensive research by the Voctade project shows that the figure provided for 1997 is a more accurate representation of the difficult division between distance education and technology-based provision from institutions in Finland which would fall within the definition of distance training accepted in this study.

Cell 19 Distance teaching university in Finland

There is no distance teaching university in Finland.

Cell 20 Distance education provision from conventional universities in Finland

No data was collected for 1994.

The figure for 1995 and 1996 represents an under-estimation of the more accurate figure for 1997 established by the Voctade study.

Cell 21 Government distance training in France

Very considerable work was invested by Oravep of Paris and the Voctade study to establish the statistics of public sector distance education in France comprising the CNED, AFPA, CNAM and various other structures in the public and para-public sector.

The statistics for 1994 and 1995 refer mainly to the CNED; the figures for 1996 and 1997 focus on the CNED and other public and para-public providers.

Cell 22 Proprietary distance training in France

The 1994 figure is a reflection of the statistic established by the ORAVEP study published in 1994. The figures for 1995 - 1997 give a realistic portrait of the volume of enrolments each year in para-private sectors in France.

Cell 23 Open University in France

There is no Open University in France.

Cell 24 Distance training from conventional universities in France.

The statistic given is that for the members of the university association FIED, with the 1997 figure being the result of more intense research.

Cell 25 Government Distance training in Germany

Definition

This cell includes structures which have some government funding. It includes statistics for the Funkolleg (radio-based programmes) and for the Telekolleg (television-based programmes), and also for the Fachhochschulen, though there is considerable discussion as to whether the Fachhochschulen can be considered as further education of higher education structures today.
Statistical Trends:
The statistics show a decline in enrolments in both the Funkolleg and Telekolleg structures.

Cell 26 Proprietary distance education in Germany

This statistic represents the 186 providers of courses at a distance in Germany listed in Government documentation of whom 50 are members of the professional association, the DFV. The statistics are published annually by government and may be regarded as accurate.

Cell 27 Open University in Germany

The statistic for 1994 - '96 is the official statistic for the FernUniversität Gesamthochschule in Hagen. The 1997 statistic comprises the FernUniversität in Hagen, plus some additional statistics from private open universities founded in the late 1990's, mainly by AKAD.

Cell 28 Distance education provision from conventional German Universities.

The statistics are stable for 1994 - 1996. Economic developments in 1997 and government encouragement for conventional German universities to go more into distance education, is reflected in the 1997 statistics.

Cell 29 Government distance training provision in Greece

It is considered that there is no such provision.

Cell 30 Proprietary distance training provision in Greece

The 1994 - '97 statistics reflects the opening of a branch in Athens of a German based proprietary distance education institution.

Cell 31 Open University in Greece.

The foundation of the Hellenic Open University in 1997 by the Government of Greece will be enrolling its first students in 1998. Therefore no statistics are shown for 1994 - 1997.

Cell 32 Provision of Distance Education from conventional Greek Universities

It is considered to-date that there is no official development of courses for degree-credit by Greek Universities.

Cell 33 Government distance training provision in Ireland

The Irish Regional Technical Colleges, during the period of the Voctade project, moved to the higher education sector and were re-named Institutes of Technology.

Cell 34 Proprietary distance training sector

This figure is regarded as accurate and shows a steady but increasing enrolment in this area.

Cell 35 Open University in Ireland

There is no Open University in Ireland

Cell 36 Distance training at a distance from conventional universities in Ireland

Definition
These statistics represent the provision from the Irish National Distance Education Centre at Dublin City University, plus the statistics for the other universities in Ireland, plus the former Regional Technical Colleges which are now Institutes of Technology.

Cell 37 Government Distance Training provision in Italy

The 1994 statistic represents the efforts of ISFOL to get a government distance training provision structure established in Italy from 1995 -'97. It is considered that these efforts did not materialize

Cell 38 Proprietary Distance Training in Italy

Declining for 1994 - '95 stabilizing between 1995 - '96, the figures are then greatly inflated by the inclusion for 1997 of the FORCOM consortium, which is considered to be a private consortium comprising some universities and other structures in Italy.

Cell 39 Open University in Italy

There is no Open University in Italy.

Cell 40 Distance Training provision from a conventional universities in Italy

This cell comprises the distance provision from, in particular, Rome III, then from a number of consortia: the CUD , the Consorzio Nettuno in Rome and Turin, and one or two universities such as Ferrara and Firenze.

Cells 41,42,43,44 Luxembourg

Research carried out in the Voctade study with the Luxembourg College of Advanced Education indicated that there are no distance education operations in any of the four cells.

Cell 45 Government distance training provision in the Netherlands

The figure for 1994 represents the statistics of Teleac, the distance training provision by television, as it is considered that it contains some public funding for its transmissions. The figure for 1994 is inflated because information was given that there was some government distance training provision in the Netherlands which turned out to be more computer-based training in conventional training centres rather than distance education.

Cell 46 Proprietary distance education in Netherlands

The statistics are stable for the four years under consideration. Nearly all the institutions are members of the Dutch private distance training organisation Viso which from 1995 onwards was fused with the face-to-face private provision colleges to form a new organisation called Paepon.

Cell 47: Open University in the Netherlands

The statistics for the Open Universiteit at Heerlen is given as 60,000 for 1994. This is the official figure which represents the number of enrolments in both the degree programme and the continuing education programme. The figure for 1995 - '97 represents the re-focusing by the government on degree courses and a reduction of emphasis on continuing education programmes.

Cell 48 Distance training from conventional Dutch Universities

This figure is gradually increasing. It sometimes relies on franchised programmes purchased or developed elsewhere.

Cell 49 Government distance training in Portugal

The figure for 1995 - '96 is an indication that it was considered that there did not exist this type of training. However, intense field research in Portugal by the Voctade programme has indicated that in the para-public sector there exist programmes within the ambit of the Voctade programme.

Cell 50 Proprietary distance training in Portugal.

Early figures indicated that the statistics were difficult to establish. The Voctade study has formally established an accurate figure for Portugal.

Cell 51 Open University in Portugal

The figures for 1994 ' 96 are stable. The 1997 figure recognises the introduction of a new course for the development of educational technology skills in teaching. This doubled the enrolments at the university in 1997.

Cell 52 Distance training from conventional universities in Portugal

This figure reflects the development of the advanced-level business education course at a distance known as Dislogo by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon.

Cell 53 Government Distance training in Spain

This figure represents for the four years, the statistics of CIDEAD in Madrid and its partnership with the educational ministries of the autonomous regions throughout Spain.

Cell 54 Proprietary distance training in Spain

Nearly all the members of this sector are members of ANCED, the Spanish proprietary distance training organization. The figures are large and represent in 1994 - '95 the introduction of new legislation for vocational education in particular a new type of contract. This has given a boost to the private sector in Spain.

Cell 55 Open University in Spain

This figure represents two open universities.
  1. UNED in Madrid
  2. UOC in Barcelona
Figures for 1994 - '95 represent only UNED. From 1996 onwards UOC is also included.

Cell 56 Distance training from conventional universities in Spain

This cell is considered to be small and limited to the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Cell 57 Government distance training provision in Sweden

Sweden was not a member of the European Union in 1994. The statistics from 1994 - '97 count all further education colleges in Sweden.

Cell 58 Proprietary distance training in Sweden.

This cell is small. State funding is very comprehensive in Sweden and thus the proprietary sector is unlikely to expand greatly.

Cell 59 Open University in Sweden

There is no Open University in Sweden.

Cell 60 Distance Education provision from conventional universities in Sweden

Many of these teach at a distance. The Voctade figure for 1997 represents an accurate finding after much research in this field.

Cell 61 Government distance training provision in the United Kingdom

The figures for 1994 - '96 are relatively stable. This is a sector in which it is very difficult to distinguish between flexible learning programmes, open learning programmes and distance learning programmes.

The figure for 1997 represents the official Government statistic from the Further Education Funding Council for further education colleges in the UK, with a reduction to account for non-distance programmes.

Cell 62 Proprietary distance training provision in the United Kingdom

This sector has an organization, ODLQC, and a very varied range of other non-members institutes which make up a complicated sector.

Cell 63 Open University of the United Kingdom

The figures for 1994 reflects the official statistics of the University.

The figure for 1995 represents the official figures also, including about 50,000 learning packages. These are not included in the Voctade definition of distance education. The figure for 1996 represents the enrolments in mainstream programmes. The figure for 1997 is the official figure of the OU but does not include the packages, again about 50,000.

Cell 64 Distance training from conventional universities in the United Kingdom

This is the most difficult figure to establish in Europe. It represents the non OU sector. Major players are the University of London external degree programme, the Open Learning Foundation and its grouping of about 20 universities (all of which were former polytechnics) which teach at a distance, and a range of up to 100 universities which teach at a distance.

The statistic is established as follows for cells 61 and 64. These Universities have enrolments overseas, in Europe, in Eastern European countries  and former colonies and these are not officially counted  in the government statistics for distance education in England and Wales. As a result of this the figure of Cell 64 is composed of intensive research at the individual institutions on behalf of the Voctade study and statistics provided by the higher education statistics office of the U.K (HESA).

It is important to note that if conventional universities in the UK were officially entered on the ICDL database at the OU on 1 January 1997 as a provider of distance education they are included. If they were not so entered they do not form part of this research programme. The provision is similar for cell 62.
The statistics for cell 64 are the least secure of the whole report because it proved very difficult to get statistics for distance education enrolments at the conventional universities from outside the United Kingdom, because they are not held centrally by Higher Education Statistics Office. Each university does not hold statistics centrally. One must go to each faculty and find the numbers there, and frequently to each university department  within each faculty.

OVERVIEW

 

Government Distance Training Enrolment Statistics

It is to be noted that no figures were collected for Austria, Finland and Sweden, prior to their entry into the European Union. It is to be noted that some of the figures for 1994 are incorrect due to inclusion of technology-based-training at government training centres in the 1994, and to a certain extent the 1995, statistics.

It is to be noted that the radio and television-based distance training programmes in the Netherlands and in Germany are included here because it is considered that there is some Government provision at least for transmission costs.

When these figures are taken into consideration the figures are relatively stable and no major statistical changes can be identified in the four years in question.

There is very considerable provision in France, and the statistics for France show a growing awareness by the study, of the range of Government provision of distance training in France outside of the CNED which in 1997 enrolled, on its own, nearly 400,000 students.

The Government distance training centre in Spain also enrols over 100,000 students per year in the four years in question and the further education colleges and centres in the United Kingdom also make large use of this form of training.

However, the statistics for the United Kingdom are less stable because it is more difficult to distinguish between programmes which should be labelled either flexible learning or open learning or distance learning.

The Proprietary Distance Training Enrolment Statistics

The proprietary distance training sector has undergone substantial changes in the four years for which the statistics have been collected.

However, one or two inaccuracies in the 1994 figures, especially for Flemish-speaking Belgium need to be taken account of before these statistics are analysed.

Substantial development is evident for Spain with over 400,000 enrolments per year. Other countries with over 100,000 enrolments per year are the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Enrolments in a selection of countries show substantial declines, but the proprietary sector still enrols nearly a million citizens per year in the European Union.

It is to be noted the 650,000 students in Eastern Europe, enrolled in the private distance education structure run from the Netherlands and Cyprus (Charkov Beheer) do not figure in the statistics because of a technicality. It is clear that on nearly all counts these students should be included because they are from a European Union provider, they are distance education students, enrolled and supported in the definition of distance education adopted for this report. The technicality however 'that the courses should be available to citizens of the European Union' is not met, in so far as most of the programmes are only available in eastern and central Europe, outside the European Union, or in China, and that therefore the 650,000 students are not included in the statistics here.

The Distance Teaching University Enrolment Statistics

Note that the figure for the Stoho for 1994 should have been in Sector 4 and not Sector 3. The figures for the Fernuniversität in Germany are extremely stable for the four years in question and for the 1997 statistics the enrolments achieved in the private open universities in Germany are added to the FernUniversität statistics.

The figures for the Netherlands reflect change in policy, especially with regard to the continuing educational enrolments at the Open University of the Netherlands.

The figures from Portugal represent the doubling of students from 1996/1997 by the introduction of new educational technology for teachers, programmes by the Open University of Portugal.

The figures for UNED in Spain show impressive development from 1994 to 1995 to 1996 to 1997, with the Open University in Barcelona, which describes itself as a virtual university, gaining in statistics in 1997.

The Open University of the United Kingdom statistics are also gradually and steadily increasing. However, the published statistics for 1995 included, in addition, teaching packages, which do not meet the strict definition requirements for inclusion in this study.

Conventional University Enrolment Statistics

The United Kingdom is the clear leader in sector 4 and the only country in the European Union that has an enrolment in its conventional universities of over 50,000 with a considerable amount of these students enrolled at the University of London external degree programme, and a considerable number of students enrolled in countries outside the United Kingdom. The statistics for these outside the United Kingdom enrolments are difficult to establish. Other substantial enrolments are to be found in Finland, Sweden and France.

Conclusion

Distance training in the European Union in 1997

If the statistics for the Charkov Beheer company are included, the figure for the number of citizens who paid for or for whom a course was paid, a vocational education and training programme at a distance to EU providers is over three and a quarter millions in 1997. With the exclusion of this company's statistics the figure is nearly 2.5 million. This is a very considerable market and the contribution of vocational education and training at a distance to VET in Europe is vast.

Over 70% of this provision is at further education level and less than 30% is at university level.

The private and the government sectors at further education level are equally divided, with each providing about half of the courses for which EU citizens pay, or are paid for by their fellow citizens, for their vocational training.

The statistic which the Voctade inquiry sought to establish was the number of EU citizens who paid for, or for whom their vocational education course was paid for by their fellow citizens.

The Voctade inquiry did not take into consideration the length of the course, the level of the qualification, whether the course was university level or not. These important questions are the work of other researchers and other studies.

Spain is clearly the leader in vocational education and training, as defined, and with over 700,000 enrolments per year is the European leader. The statistics for Spain for vocational education and training at a distance, as defined, are claimed to be accurate to within 1% to 3%. Also over the half a million mark of enrolments per year is the United Kingdom.

The statistics for France are claimed to be accurate to within 1% to 3% and the Voctade inquiry has been greatly assisted by the leading French research institution, Oravep of Paris, in establishing statistics for France with a tolerance of plus or minus 1% to 3%.

The statistics for the United Kingdom are much less accurate. Definitional issues between flexible learning and open learning and distance learning and the possibility of other terminologies or other forms of provision, make the statistical analysis of the United Kingdom extremely difficult. The Voctade Inquiry does not claim accuracy of even plus or minus 10% for its figures for the United Kingdom, despite meticulous and extremely costly investigations.

In fourth and fifth position come Germany and The Netherlands, with extensive provision in all four sectors and statistics which are claimed to be accurate, with a tolerance of plus or minus 10%.

The provision in Italy has been boosted by the statistics received from the FORCOM consortium, and there is also extensive provision in Finland, Sweden and Portugal. For all of these cells a tolerance of 3 to 5% in the statistical gathering is claimed.

Austria and Flanders and Portugal have statistics in the mid 20,000's per year and Ireland and Denmark also have more than 20,000 enrolments per year.

Smaller enrolments are found in French speaking Belgium and in Greece, though it is clear that the opening of a new open university in Greece will make a major impact on these figures from 1998 onwards.