Teacher Shortages (Hansard, 8 November 1989)

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the Department of Education and Science carried out its annual survey of teacher vacancies in England and Wales last January. It showed a secondary vacancy rate of 1.2 per cent. and a nursery and primary vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent. The largest numbers of secondary vacancies occurred in maths, science, modern foreign languages, English and physical education. The department carried out a further ad hoc survey in September, the results of which indicate that the situation has not worsened since January.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, does not the Minister think that that is perhaps a rather complacent reply in the light of the survey carried out recently by the six teaching unions, which showed the position to be substantially worse than the DES reported to the interim advisory committee? Is it true that the DES survey was carried out by ringing round the various authorities, whereas the unions' survey was carried out by a very well-documented questionnaire which went out to heads of schools?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the findings of the unions' survey are at odds with the other surveys carried out this autumn, including a survey carried out by the Labour Party, which all estimated vacancies at about half the level suggested by the unions.
The Government are not complacent about this problem. We are aware that there are difficulties in some parts of the country and in some subjects. We must be particularly vigilant over the next few years as the demand for qualified manpower grows.

The Lord Bishop of Manchester
My Lords, does the Minister agree that in certain inner city areas those shortages are considerably worse than the figures which he has given to us would indicate and that the shortages will not be ameliorated —in fact 714 rather the reverse will take place —by local management of schools, parental choice and other elements of the recent education Act? Can he give us any indication of what is being done to tackle the problem of inner city schools.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, as I said, there are difficulties in certain parts of the country. However, the Government have an action programme to combat teacher shortages. Expenditure totalling over £50 million since July 1986 has been incurred on various methods to improve teacher recruitment all over the country.

§ Viscount Eccles
My Lords, what is the attitude of the teachers' unions to the return of retired teachers to the schools, and more particularly for part-time service?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I believe that my noble friend will have to ask the teachers' unions about that. However, I gather that it is not as favourable as it might be.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, is the Minister aware that in the past year there has been a very substantial increase in the number of practising teachers resigning from the profession? Does he not agree that steps taken to improve recruitment are only part of the problem? Is he also aware that one of the key areas of shortages is deputy heads, where there are a number of vacancies? Does he agree that it is extremely important to take some action to stem the tide of resignations of practising and experienced teachers? Can he say what the Government intend to do about that?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I must repeat that the Government are not complacent. However, we believe that the problem is being exaggerated in some quarters. Recruitment in 1988 was up by 5 per cent. over 1987, which was itself an exceptional year. Primary recruitment was up by 12 per cent. As I say, the situation is improving.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, while welcoming what my noble friend said on the steps which the Government are taking to improve the teacher supply, there is a real concern about shortages which needs to be met. Will he ask his right honourable friend to look at a pilot scheme being introduced in independent schools whereby second-year university students can do one month's work experience in a school to find out whether or not they are interested in teaching? That may be something which could well be used in maintained schools and would help to encourage able under-graduates and students to look at teaching as a possible profession'?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend and I shall pass on her remarks to my right honourable friend.

§ Lord Taylor of Blackburn
My Lords, what support is being given to the London authorities in particular, which are facing this acute shortage of teachers, regarding the accommodation problem by allowing free housing and additional mortgages to teachers?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, that is a real problem. Difficulties in filling vacancies are not necessarily a problem of teacher supply but of teacher mobility. In the present difficult housing market, people seem generally less inclined to move house and therefore to change jobs. I know that my right honourable friend is fully aware of that problem but I shall draw the noble Lord's remarks to his attention.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, can my noble friend say whether, in assessing these shortages, account is taken of the fact that there are roughly a million fewer people in our schools? Is that allowed for in calculating the shortages?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, of course it is. The demographic graph shows that we have considerably fewer pupils at school at present than we had 10 years ago; but the demographic graph will increase over the next few years, and we have to relate the supply of teachers to that graph.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, will the noble Lord tell the House whether the possibilities of full implementation of the national curriculum are already affected by the levels of shortages within the subjects which he has indicated? Can he also give some guidance as to whether it will be possible to teach the Welsh language in the schools of Wales without sufficient teachers being available and qualified to do so?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, we feel that as education reforms transform our schools, teaching will become more attractive and hence recruitment will improve. As far as I know, there are no particular difficulties with the curricula at present. Regarding Welsh teaching, I shall have to write to the noble Lord in English.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord. I am already waiting for two replies from him and I shall be anxiously scanning the mail. Does he accept, as has been indicated, that in the schools —and I wish to put this matter very strongly —there is a very real sense of disappointment and disillusionment, and that the sooner that is removed the better the chances will be of our children being properly taught?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I hear what the noble Lord said.

§ Baroness Lockwood
My Lords, if the Minister believes that this problem is being over-exaggerated and that there are no problems with the introduction of the national curriculum, would he comment on the report this weekend of the remarks of the head of HMI, Mr. Eric Bolton, who said: Shortages in specialist teaching subjects could worsen while the national curriculum could produce new shortages and expose hidden subject shortages"?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, there are always people who find hidden problems in the future; but, if I may say so, I think it would be wise to await the 716 findings of the next survey in January before jumping to any conclusions.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords—

§ Lord Denham
My Lords, if the noble Lord will give way, I wonder whether I might make my statement after he has been answered.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, I do not take decisions on whether or not the noble Lord makes his statement. That is for his side of the House. I hoped I might ask a question, and with permission I shall do so.
I heard the noble Lord say twice that the Government were not complacent, but can he explain why there should ever be any teacher shortage? Surely the first prerequisite of any education system is that there should be enough teachers. The Government have had 10 years to deal with this problem. Why have they not solved it?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, there is always mobility of labour, as there is in the teaching profession. There is always a certain amount of shortage; it is only 1.2 per cent., as it was in 1979. There will always be movement horizontally in any profession and that is why, in a profession such as this, there is an inbuilt shortage which is now being met by other people.