Young people's options in education can be determined more by transport than ability, says research.

A study of teenagers in rural areas, by the University of London's Institute of Education, has found that the availability or non-availability of public transport can be a major influence on decisions about education.

Among 15 to 16-year-olds, coming to the end of compulsory schooling, more than 40% of students reported that access to public transport was a factor in whether they stayed in education.

Sixth form and further education colleges are usually in main towns - and if students are not on the route of buses, they will depend on lifts to bus stops.

If lifts are not available at the times when student need to travel to college, then this becomes a barrier and disincentive to continuing in education.

Employment opportunities can also be limited by a lack of public transport. If lifts are not available and there is irregular public transport, young people can find it difficult to get to work on time.

The research found young people were keen to learn to drive as a way of escaping this dependency on lifts, with 40% of 17 to 18-year-olds in the rural areas surveyed found to own a car.

The research was carried out in four areas in the south-west of England.