§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence he has about the rate at which head teachers are now seeking early retirement, what comparable information he has on previous years; and to what factors he attributes the trend.
§ Mrs. RumboldFor teachers as a whole, premature retirements have in recent years consistently accounted for about 60 per cent. of all retirements. Premature retirement has kept open promotion opportunities for teachers and improved the age structue of the profession. Information690W about premature retirements of head teachers is available only combined with information on college prinicpals and up to 1986–87. The number of premature retirements in these groups fell by 17 per cent. in 1986–87 compared with 1985–86. Pension is based on the best 12 months' salary over the last three years of service. It is likely that teachers were postponing retirement in 1986–87 in order to improve their pensions by awaiting the effect on pensions of the substantial pay increases of 25 per cent. between March 1986 and October 1987. We would expect premature retirements to rise again by 1988–89 as these increases feed through into pension entitlements.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what difficulties are being experienced in the recruitment of headteachers.
§ Mrs. RumboldGood up-to-date information is not available. The interim advisory committee on teachers' pay found no particular evidence of serious recruitment problems affecting heads and deputies. The Department estimates that at January 1988 approximately 300 headteacher posts were vacant, that is only slightly more than 1 per cent. of headteacher posts.