HC Deb 06 May 2004 vol 420 cc1777-8W
Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on progress with the recruitment of teachers; and how many new teachers have been appointed as a direct result of his Department's initiatives. [169954]

Mr. Miliband

Although difficulties persist in some individual schools and areas, the overall teacher supply position is continuing to improve. Recruitment to courses of initial teacher training in England fell for eight years in a row from 1992/93, but has risen for four successive years since the introduction of training bursaries and Golden Hellos in September 2000. This is having an impact on the numbers of teachers in schools. National Statistics published by my Department on 29 April showed that there sere 427,800 full-time equivalent regular teachers working in maintained schools in England in January 2004. That is 28,600 more than in 1997 and more than at any time since 1981. The teacher vacancy rate is now 0.7 per cent., down from 0.9 per cent. the previous year. There were 2,670 full-time teacher vacancies in January 2004, compared to 3,410 in January 2003.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in Oldham, West and Royton on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce them. [170909]

Mr. Miliband

Information on teacher vacancies is not available by constituency as it is collected at local education authority level. In January 2003, the latest information available, there were 19 full-time teacher vacancies in Oldham local education authority.

Like other areas, since 1997 Oldham, West and Royton has benefited from the initiatives that the Government have put in place to recruit and retain teachers and to increase the number of staff supporting them in schools. Since 1997, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained schools in Oldham LEA has risen from 2.240 to 2,250 in 2003. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent school support staff in the area has grown by 520 from 720 to 1,240 in 2003.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Oldham, West and Royton(a) in each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [170910]

Mr. Miliband

The following table gives the full time equivalent number of teaching assistants employed in maintained schools in Oldham, West and Royton constituency in each January between 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available.

Number
1997 200
1998 210
1999 230
2000 250
2001 290
2002 310
2003 350
Source:
Annual School Census.