§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many additional science teachers are estimated to be required, if his plans for city technical colleges and the core curriculum go ahead in their present form.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe establishment of city technology colleges will lead to a small increase in demand for teachers of science, mathematics and CDT. But once established their success may well attract back into the profession science teachers who have left, while also stimulating new entrants. It is too early to give a precise estimate of the demand for additional science teachers generated by our proposals for the national curriculum. We are already planning for the national curriculum to be introduced within an overall pupil to teacher ratio at its lowest ever level of 17:1 by 1989. Within that context, schools and local authorities must ensure that they make the best use of the skills and specialisms of the existing teacher force. For our part, the Department will be monitoring likely demands closely so as to arrange future intitial teacher training allocations on the basis of satisfying the needs of the national curriculum.