HC Deb 29 March 2001 vol 365 cc759-60W
Mr. St. Aubyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers left the profession in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155646]

Ms Estelle Morris

Full-time and part-time teachers leaving the maintained schools sector in England for the last three years for which data are available.

Financial year Leavers1 Rate2
1996–97 33,150 7.9
1997–98 34,250 8.2
1998–993,4 27,570 6.6
1 Teachers leaving the maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and PRU sector including those moving to the FE, HE or the independent schools sector. Teachers ret ring but then rejoining the maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and PRU sector have not been included in the figures. Teachers retiring and then joining the FE, HE or the independent schools sector are included. Teachers barred from service and dying in service are included
2Leavers expressed as a percentage of teachers in post at the start of the year shown
3The number of teachers leaving on premature or ill-health retirement has now stabilised at a lower level, following the reform of the Teachers Pensions Scheme in 1997
4Provisional

The number of regular teachers (excluding short-term supply) in the maintained schools sector in England at January 2000 was 404,600, the highest for 10 years and 6,900 higher than January 1998.

There was a growth of 2,300 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93

From April 2001 new graduate recruits can expect to earn £17,000 a year (up 6 per cent. from the previous year) and starting salaries in Inner London will rise to £20,000 (up 9 per cent. from the previous year).