§ Mr. Alexander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now provide monthly statistics on the number of teachers employed in local authority schools in Scotland, including the number of secondary teachers employed in each subject category and the shortfalls and surpluses in individual categories and specific subjects.
§ Mr. McElhoneConsideration is being given to the possibility of linking the lists of full-time permanent teachers entering and leaving employment which are submitted monthly by education authorities with data derived from the annual school census in September. This would provide information in changes in the teaching force during the course of each session but not on the position in individual subjects. Production of information about specific subjects on a monthly basis would place an unreasonable burden on education authorities and head-teachers.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide details of the current shortage of secondary mathematic teachers in Scottish local authority schools, given that the schools' census figures do not detail the number of teachers employed on specific subjects.
§ Mr. McElhoneEstimates of shortages and surpluses of teachers by subject are submitted by head teachers as part of the annual school census each September. For some years information about pupil and teacher numbers and pupil-teacher ratios has been published as soon as practicable after the census without reference to specific subjects, and this was done last month on the usual basis. An analysis is now being made of estimates of subject shortages and surpluses in September 1976 and will be completed within the next few weeks. I shall send the hon. Member information about the shortage 547W of mathematics teachers when it is available.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish his views on teacher supply and training in Scotland from 1977 onwards.
§ Mr. MillanA consultative paper will be sent to all interested bodies on Monday 17th January and placed in the House of Commons Library and released to the Press at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 18th January.