§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further measures he has taken to improve the supply of mathematics, physics and craft and design and technology teachers since the publication of the recent consultative document.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerSince the publication of the consultative document, I have asked the National Advisory Body to allocate expenditure—amounting to £2.1 million in the first year 1987–88—for the development of courses by local authority institutions of higher education to increase the supply of teachers of the shortage subjects, namely mathematics, physics and craft, design and technology. The voluntary colleges have been allocated £250,000 in 1987–88 to enable them to participate in this initiative. The UGC, at my request, has set aside £1 million a year from 1987–88 onwards for similar initiatives in the universities. The Open University will receive up to £1.5 million in grant over the next three financial years for new work in support of shortage subject teachers, including the development of an in-service training package for physics.
257WThe new in-service training grant power provided by the Education Act that reached the statute book earlier this month will permit local authorities to claim 70 per cent. central Government grant for in-service training schemes in national priority areas. Expenditure totalling £16.5 million on maths, science and CDT teachers will be eligible for such grants in 1987–88.
The Government and the local authorities are setting up a national unit to publicise career opportunities in teaching. Mr. J. Dodds, the assistant director of education of Kirklees, has been appointed to head this unit on secondment from his authority.
My right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is today announcing that in future expenditure on industrial secondments to local education authorities, and educational institutions maintained by them, will be deductible for tax purposes. This new tax relief will complement the existing relief, introduced in 1983, for secondments to charities including universities, many other educational institutions, and, prospectively, the new city technology colleges. The new tax relief will encourage firms to offer help and British Petroleum, for example, has already decided to second employees to work in two local authorities to help relieve teacher shortages. British Petroleum has also joined the Government in sponsoring the Open University's physics pack for teachers.
(a) Non-clinical academic university salaries (b) School teacher salaries proposed in the Secretary of State's 30 October statement (c) School teacher salaries proposed in 15 November ACAS agreement £ 1 April 1985 £ 1 October 1987 £ 1 September 1987 Starting Salary 8,020 8,500 7,893 Salary at 27 years 9,495 11,400 10,800 1. The starting salary for university non-clinical academics is the minimum of the assistant lecturer/lecturer grade. The minimum salary at age 27 is three incremental points further up that scale.
2. Under the Government's proposals a good honours graduate would enter teaching at a salary of £8,500. In 1985 74 per cent. of new entrant teachers entered at the equivalent level or better. By age 27 such an entrant would rise another four incremental points on the main scale, to £11,400.
3. Under the proposals outlined in the 15 November ACAS agreement, (signed by NUT, AMA, SHA, and PAT on 21 November) new entrants to the teaching profession would all start at £7,893. There are no automatic increments for higher academic qualifications. By age 27 salary would rise another four incremental points on the main scale, to £10,800.