§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when his Department last conducted a secondary curriculum and staffing survey; and when the next survey is due for completion and publication. [148683]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 5 February 2001]: There is an annual census of teacher numbers and vacancies, the results of which are published in April each year.
The Department last conducted a secondary curriculum and staffing survey in November 1996. The possibility of conducting a further secondary curriculum and staffing survey in 2001–02 is being considered and if undertaken the results will be published as soon as possible.
The number of regular teachers in maintained schools increased by 6,900 between January 1998 and January 2000. There was a growth of over 2,000 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93.