HC Deb 20 December 1982 vol 34 cc314-5W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teaching posts were lost in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in 1979, 1980, 1981 and to the nearest available date in 1982.

Dr. Boyson

The Department does not collect information about the number of teaching posts in schools. Changes in the numbers of qualified teachers employed within maintained primary and secondary schools in England are given below:

Primary schools* Secondary schools*
January Number of qualified teachers† Change from previous year Number of qualified teachers† Change from previous year
1979 192,462 -1,059 231,404 +4,025
1980 188,616 -3,846 232,457 +1,053
1981 181,310 -7,306 230,928 -1,529
1982 174,240 -7,070 228,397 -2,531
* Including middle schools as deemed.
†Including the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers.

In September 1982 the total number of teachers employed by local education authorities in the nursery, primary and secondary sector was 411,400, some 8,600 fewer than in January 1982.