HC Deb 19 February 1992 vol 204 cc181-2W
Mr. Alison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the most recently available estimates for(a) the number of full-time teachers in county secondary schools who teach religious education and who have no post A-level qualification in RE, (b) the numbers of full-time teachers in county secondary schools who teach religious education and who have a post A-level qualification in RE and (c) the number of full-time county secondary teachers with a post A-level qualification in RE who are not teaching the subject.

Mr. Fallon

The information requested is not separately available for county secondary schools.

For all maintained secondary schools in England, the 1988 secondary school staffing survey showed that 14,500 full-time teachers were teaching religious education. Of these, 44 per cent, or 6,400 had a post A-level qualification in religious education. The remaining 56 per cent., or 8,100, who had no recorded post A-level qualification in the subject, were providing only 26 per cent, of all tuition periods in religious education. A further 6,900 full-time teachers with a post A-level qualification in religious education were not teaching the subject.

Mr. Alison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local education authorities which have adopted agreed syllabuses for religious education since the commencement of the Education Reform Act 1988.

Mr. Eggar

The Department does not collect this information. We are aware, however, that some local education authorities have adopted new agreed syllabuses for religious education since 29 September 1988, including:

  • Bolton
  • Cornwall
  • Derbyshire
  • Ealing
  • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  • Newham
  • North Tyneside
  • Oldham
  • Rotherham

I believe that other authorities are currently reviewing their syllabuses.