§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the effect of the campaign to recruit teachers to solve subject and geographic shortages.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthOur action programme to combat teacher shortages was launched in 1986 at a cost so far of £50 million. Recruitment to initial teacher training in physics, maths and CDT was above the 1986 level in both 1987 and 1988. We shall continue to develop and intensify the programme further to improve teacher recruitment in the secondary shortage subjects.
The £2 million education support grant scheme, announced last May, will help LEA's to develop local recruitment schemes to attract qualified teacher returners and mature entrants. Support will be concentrated to assist shortages both by locality and by subject.