Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 7 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 February 2011. It was answered by Nick Gibb (Conservative) on Monday, 14 March 2011 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Languages: Teachers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to increase the number of language teachers in primary and secondary schools.

Answer: [holding answer 14 February 2011]: The Secretary of State for Education wrote to the Training and Development Agency for Schools on 31 January with the details of the initial teacher training place allocations and training bursary amounts for academic year 2011/12. Despite falling secondary pupil rolls and reductions in the secondary allocation overall, the secondary language place allocation has been protected with 100 more places than the previous year to take account of the introduction of the English Baccalaureate. Future year allocations will continue to take account of the English Baccalaureate and other policy developments. We are also maintaining the training bursary level for modern foreign languages at £6,000 in 2011/12 to help with recruitment.The Schools White Paper 2010, The Importance of Teaching, sets out the Government's commitment to attract more of the best graduates in shortage subjects, including modern foreign languages, into teaching. We will publish a strategy document for discussion later this year setting out our plans for funding initial teacher training from academic year 2012/13.We are currently considering the funding and support structures that might best be used to improve language teaching in schools, including the primary school workforce.

Secondary information