§ 51. Mr. Livseyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on progress on initiatives planned by his Department to increase the numbers of teachers in mathematics and physics.
§ Mr. Chris PattenBursaries worth £1,200 a year tax-free will be available from September 1986 for mathematics and physics graduates entering PGCE training courses, and more information is being distributed about the opportunities offered by a teaching career. The Government believe that pay levels and prospects are important factors in recruiting and retaining these subject specialists, and have said that this issue should be addressed in any reform of the pay structure of the teaching profession. In the meantime, initial teacher training targets have been set by reference to institutions' recruitment prospects in these subjects, and mathematics and science teaching are both priority categories within the current in-service teacher training grants scheme. The Department is working with its partners in the education162W service, and with employers, to develop further measures to improve supply, and to make maximum use of the specialist teaching resources available.