§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applicants there are for postgraduate certificates of education in physics (a) in the current year and (b) on average; how many of these are considered likely to proceed into teaching; and how many physicists left the teaching profession in 1985 other than through retirement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe available information is as follows. Up to 26 February 1986 the Graduate Teacher Training Registry had received 272 applications for entry to postgraduate certificate in education courses in physics beginning in September 1986. Students still have some months in which to make applications for any courses which are not yet full. It is not possible to estimate how many of these applications will be accepted as this is a matter for the admitting institutions. At the same time last year, 367 applications had been received.
In recent years some 80 per cent. of students who entered PGCE courses of all kinds completed their training successfully and entered teaching in the maintained sector; there is some evidence that wastage from physics courses may be higher than average.
During the year ending 31 March 1984, 311 physics graduates aged under 60 gave up teaching in full-time 542W posts in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England. This includes teachers taking premature retirement. Figures for the year ending 31 March 1985 are expected to be available shortly.