§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information her Department collates on the number of people leaving teacher training who enter teaching; and if she will publish those figures. [1617]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 2 July 2001]: My Department collects the number of teachers awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) each year. Data are then obtained from employers' returns to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme (TPS) to show which of these newly qualified teachers have entered teaching by the following 31 March in the maintained sector in England and Wales, the parts of the independent sector that are members of the TPS, full-time further education lecturers in England and Wales, and lecturers in higher education who are members of the TPS. The service of teachers is subsequently monitored at 31 March every year.
There were 24,740 teachers in England who obtained QTS in 1998, having followed a BEd or PGCE course. 18,140 (73 per cent.) entered full or part-time teaching in England by 31 March 1999 and a further 150 (0.6 per cent.) were teaching in Wales, as follows:
Number Percentage QTS following BEd or PGCE awarded in 1998 24,740 — Not in service by 31 March 1999 6,450 26 In service in England by 31 March 1999 Maintained schools 17,110 69 Independent schools 800 3 Other1 230 1 Total in service by 31 March 1999 18,140 73 In service in Wales 150 0.6 Total in service in England or Wales 18,290 74 1 Includes further and higher education Other teachers with QTS following a BEd or PGCE, not recorded above, may have had service in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or parts of the independent or HE sectors that are not members of the TPS.