§ 17. Mr. HaynesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the areas of current teacher shortages by subject; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThere is no straightforward measure of teacher shortages. The number of unfilled posts as a percentage of the total number by posts by subject is one measure. Figures for January 1988 suggests shortages by this measure in the following main subjects: business studies 2 per cent.; P.E. 0.9 per cent.; mathematics 0.8 per cent.; craft design and technology 0.8 per cent.; modern languages 0.8 per cent.; physics 0.7 per cent. A secondary staffing survey conducted in March of this year is expected to confirm that a significant amount of teaching in maths, physics and CDT is done by teachers whose main qualifications are not in these subjects.