HC Deb 03 April 2001 vol 366 cc113-6W
Mr. St. Aubyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of those who applied for teacher training courses started a teacher training course within 12 months in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155647]

Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 29 March 2001]Information on the numbers of teacher trainees that start a teacher training course within 12 months of applying as a proportion of the total number of applicants is not collected centrally. Applications to courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) can be made at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. Prior to the current applications cycle, information on numbers of applications to ITT courses can be presented only on an England and Wales basis; not for England only. The following tables contain the total numbers of applications that were received for postgraduate and undergraduate initial teacher training (ITT) courses for providers in England and Wales starting in academic years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01:

Postgraduate applications to initial teacher training (ITT) 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01
1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
England and Wales 31,638 33,056 34,860

Source:

Graduate Teacher Training Agency, GTTR

Undergraduate applications to initial teacher training (ITT) 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01
1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
England and Wales 77,130 66,141 61,382

Note:

Figures represent applications up to the end of the application cycle for each year.

Source:

Universities and College Admissions Service, UCAS

The figures for undergraduate and postgraduate applications cannot be combined as UCAS counts up to six applications per undergraduate applicant and GTTR counts only one application per postgraduate applicant.

Undergraduate primary ITT recruits account for around a half of all primary ITT trainees. Recruitment to primary ITT courses in England has exceeded Government targets for as long as figures are available.

The numbers of people recruited onto ITT courses in England starting in academic years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01 are presented:

Recruitment to initial teacher training (ITT) 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01
England only Number
1998–99
PG 17,415
UG 8,792
Total 26,207
1999–2000
PG 17,461
UG 8,506
Total 25,967
2000–01
PG 19,616
UG 8,099
Total 27,715

Note:

2000–01 ITT recruitment figures are the latest provisional figures.

Source:

TTA Survey of ITT Providers

Recruitment figures for ITT courses in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. The full-time equivalent number of regular teachers in the maintained sector in England was over 404,000 in January 2000. This is an increase of 6,900 from January 1998 and the highest figure for a decade.

Mr. St. Aubyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applicants there were for teacher training courses in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155648]

Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 29 March 2001]Applications to initial teacher training (ITT) courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) can be made at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. Prior to the current applications cycle, information on numbers of applications to ITT courses can be presented only on an England and Wales basis; not for England only. To allow a comparison of the latest figures with those of earlier years, the figures presented are for England and Wales combined. The tables show the numbers of applications that have been received up to the start of March for postgraduate and undergraduate ITT courses for providers in England and Wales starting in academic year 2001–02 with figures for comparable dates for the previous two years (courses starting in 1999–2000 and 2000–01):

Latest postgraduate applications to initial teacher training (ITT) 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02, England and Wales
Year Number
1999–2000 (up to 3 March 2000) 22,522
2000–01 (up to 1 March 2000) 19,981
2001–02 (up to 2 March 2001) 23,699

Source:

Graduate Teacher Training Agency, GTTR

Latest undergraduate applications to initial teacher training (ITT) 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02, England and Wales
Year Number
1999–2000 (up to 3 March 2000) 64,821
2000–01 (up to 3 March 2000) 60,003
2001–02 (up to 2 March 2001) 51,589

Notes:

1. Figures for undergraduate and postgraduate applications cannot be combined as UCAS count up to six applications per applicant and GTTR count only one application per applicant.

2. Figures represent applications up to 2 March and equivalent for each year.

Source:

Universities and College Admissions Service, UCAS

Undergraduate primary ITT recruits account for around a half of all primary ITT trainees.

Recruitment to primary ITT courses in England has exceeded Government targets for as long as figures are available.

This year, for the first time, applications are also being received for Fast Track teacher training places. A total of 1,574 applications were received for Fast Track places by the 31 January 2001 closing date. Applicants can submit simultaneous applications to both Fast Track and UCAS or GTTR.

The full-time equivalent number of regular teachers in the maintained sector in England was over 404,000 in January 2000. This is an increase of 6,900 from January 1998 and the highest figure for a decade.