§ Mrs. Renee Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to train more mathematics teachers, especially for girls.
§ Sir Keith JosephIn setting the intakes to initial teacher training courses from 1983 to 1985 I allocated an increased share of places for the training of secondary school teachers to those specialising in mathematics. In 1983 almost all available places in mathematics were filled, and more than 40 per cent. of recruits were women. The Department also makes grants to local education authorities for in-service training in mathematics.
Students in training should be prepared for teaching both girls and boys. The Department's criteria for the approval of initial training courses draw attention to the need for students to learn how to guard against preconceptions based on the sex of pupils.