HC Deb 16 June 1981 vol 6 cc844-5
2. Mr. Bright

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many mathematics and science graduates this year have taken the one-year postgraduate teacher training course; and how this compares with previous years.

The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Neil Macfarlane)

In 1980–81 the numbers of home students enrolled on postgraduate certificate courses of initial teacher training where the main subjects were mathematics and science were 828 and 1,946 respectively. This represents a 20 per cent. increase over 1978–79 and a 33 per cent. increase over 1979–80.

Mr. Bright

I congratulate my hon. Friend on that answer. Will he take measures to ensure that those people who have been through the course find suitable teaching posts in mathematics and science for which they are qualified?

Mr. Macfarlane

Local education authorities and teachers will take note of what my hon. Friend has said. My right hon. and learned Friend has left no stone unturned in the Department of Education in trying to impress on local authorities the importance of recruiting such people and making special efforts where there are shortages. It is incumbent on local authorities and head teachers to provide those posts where they are needed in shortage areas.

Mr. Christopher Price

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, good though those figures may sound, the real danger, judging from experience, is that, when an upturn occurs in the economy, maths teachers, particularly those with computer experience, will be stripped from the schools by industry within months? Has he made any progress with the suggestion by the Select Committee that many people who are being made unemployed at present cannot be easily retrained because of their lack of a formal degree although they have the higher national diploma? Cannot the Department make progress on that?

Mr. Macfarlane

We are trying to make progress on all fronts. I do not want to leave the House with the impression that we are complacent in this area. We are trying a number of initiatives, as are local authorities. Our dialogue with industry and in other areas, where we feel there may be an opportunity for retraining those facing early retirement, is part and parcel of the initiatives we are taking on national schemes or individually with the interested parties who can help us.

Mr. Lyell

On a similar theme, will my hon. Friend remember that, when the last recession, a few years ago, ended, the numbers of maths, science and physics teachers declined? Will he look sympathetically at the opportunities for combining the postgraduate certificate of education course with the last year of postgraduate PhD courses as monitored in the Leicester experiment? Will he give that encouragement and not leave it to local authorities?

Mr. Macfarlane

I cannot give a positive guarantee to my hon. Friend that that will automatically occur as a result of his question. However, I shall undertake to look at it. We hope that the figures so far will be sustained throughout 1981–82. In 1980–81, recruitment in courses of maths and physical sciences, as distinct from sciences generally, is 45 per cent. up on 1979–80. We think that that trend will be projected throughout the next year or two.