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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vacancies there are in secondary schools for (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) mathematics and (d) IT teachers at (i) GCSE and (ii) A Level; and what recent steps he has taken to attract people into teaching science and technology-related subjects. [116617] Mr. Miliband: The information is not available in the form requested. National statistics published by my Department on 29 April 2003 included provisional numbers of full-time teacher vacancies by secondary subject at January 2003. These showed that there were 40 vacancies for teachers of physics; 40 for teachers of chemistry; 320 for teachers of mathematics; and 110 for teachers of information technology. The total number of vacancies for classroom teachers in maintained secondary schools in England fell by 410 between January 2002 and January 2003. In September 2000, the Government introduced £6,000 bursaries for postgraduate trainee teachers and £4,000 Golden Hellos for those going on to teach the priority subjects of mathematics, science, modern languages, technology and English. From September 2002, these incentives are being reinforced by a scheme to repay, over time, the student loans of new teachers of the priority subjects. These incentives have helped to ensure that recruitment to initial teacher training is higher than its 1999/2000 level by 29 per cent. in mathematics; 14 per cent. in science; and 41 per cent. in technology. Figures published by the Graduate Teacher Training Registry on 7 May 2003 show that applications for postgraduate teacher training courses for 2003/04 are currently running above last year's level by 36 per cent. in mathematics; by 14 per cent. in science; and by 44 per cent. in technology.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

116617; 406 c233-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Chemistry ICT Teachers Secondary education Vacancies GCSE Mathematics Physics GCE A-level

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk