Primary School Teachers (Hansard, 26 May 1988)

§ Mr. Straw
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information is available to his Department regarding the number and distribution of primary school teachers in the maintained sector with formal qualifications or training in(a) mathematics and (b) science, beyond GCE O-level; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker
In March 1987, there were an estimated 17,500 full-time and 2,200 part-time teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools in England, who had a post-A-level qualification in which mathematics was a main or second subject, or who had in the previous five years attended an in-service course in mathematics of at least one term's full-time equivalent duration. In addition, a further 4,300 full-time and 900 part-time teachers had A-level mathematics or equivalent.
The corresponding figures for science were 22,700 full-time and 3,500 part-time with a post-A-level qualification, and a further 8,900 full-time and 2,000 part-time teachers with a science A-level or equivalent.

§ Mr. Straw
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the number and proportion of primary schools in the maintained sector that have a member of the teaching staff with identifiable knowledge or experience in(a) mathematics and (b) science; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker
In March 1987 an estimated 11,400 primary schools in England—57 per cent.—had at least 237W one teacher with a post-A-level qualification that had mathematics as the main or second subject or who had attended, in the previous five years, an in-service course in mathematics of at least one term's full-time duration or equivalent. The corresponding figure for science was 13,800–69 per cent.
All primary schools teach mathematics and almost all teach science and must therefore have at least one teacher with experience of teaching those subjects.

§ Mr. Straw
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information is available to his Department as to the numbers or approximate numbers of primary school teachers in the maintained sector who have undertaken in-service training wholly or largely in(a) mathematics and (b) science, in recent years; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker
Estimates based on a 1987 survey sample of full-time and part-time teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools in England, who identified themselves as having attended courses, are as follows:

Mathematics Science

Teachers who attended a course of at least 20 days full-time equivalent duration in the years 1982–1986. 5,200 2,900

Teachers who had had attended a course of less than 20 days full-time equivalent duration in the months September-December 1986. 17,200 11,600

Teachers in either or both of the above categories. 21,400 14,100

	Mathematics	Science
Teachers who attended a course of at least 20 days full-time equivalent duration in the years 1982–1986.	5,200	2,900
Teachers who had had attended a course of less than 20 days full-time equivalent duration in the months September-December 1986.	17,200	11,600
Teachers in either or both of the above categories.	21,400	14,100