§ 39. Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase recruitment to the teaching profession; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase recruitment to the teaching profession; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButcherThe Government already have an energetic campaign, foscused on the secondary shortage subjects, to increase recruitment to teaching. The campaign includes a special bursary of £1,300 for trainee teachers of mathematics, physics, CDT and technology, and vigorous publicity and recruitment activities. The latter are directed by our teaching as a career unit (TASC) which is actively promoting teaching as a career to undergraduates, to school pupils and to older people contemplating a career change.
52. Mr. IllselyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet representatives of local education authorities to discuss the recruitment of teachers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButcherMy right hon. Friend has no such plans at present, but officials hold such meetings from time to time to discuss these matters. Our teacher recruitment activities are spearheaded by the teaching as a career unit (TASC) which operates in conjunction with the local authority associations and whose members work very closely with individual education authorities. The unit has recently completed a series of regional seminars to discuss recruitment policies with authoities.