HC Deb 03 February 1986 vol 91 cc72-3W
Mr. Bell

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of teachers employed in schools in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979 and the planned level of teaching staff for 1986–87.

Dr. Mawhinney

The available information is as follows (excluding peripatetic and supply teachers):

School year Number of full-time teachers Number of part-time teachers
1978–79 19,129 523
1979–80 19,027 565
1980–81 18,907 534
1981–82 18,721 576
1982–83 18,616 558
1983–84 18,483 590
1984–85 18,392 650

In 1985–86, 18,393 full-time posts have been allocated to schools and current plans for 1986–87 provide for an allocation of some 18,250 full-time posts in schools and some 200 full-time peripatetic and supply teachers. Because all allocated posts are not filled at the date on which statistics are collected, these figures are not comparable with the number of teachers employed. Information on part-time posts in 1985–86 and 1986–87 is not available.

Mr. Bell

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken to meet the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education to increase the number of teachers in Northern Ireland by 2,500.

Dr. Mawhinney

The recommendations of the advisory committee on teacher education will be taken into consideration by my Department in its ongoing assessment of teacher numbers. Latest expenditure plans, however provide for no departure from the existing policy of determining teacher numbers on the basis of maintaining the existing pupil-teacher ratio.

Mr. Key

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many compulsory redundancies of teachers there have been in controlled schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 409]: The figures available are as follows:

Number
1983–84 32
1984–85 19

The figure for 1982–83 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The figures indicate the result of falling enrolments in situations where the necessary staff reduction could not be achieved by other means.