§ Mr CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Education And Science what has been the number of teachers from Europe who have been appointed to schools in England and Wales during the last six months due to teacher shortages.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe information is not available in the form requested but a total of 249 teachers from EC countries were accorded qualified teacher status in the period I May to 31 October.
§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all measures which have been taken since 1987 to increase the supply of school teachers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe principal measures taken since 1987 to increase the supply of teachers are as follows:
- 1. Bursary schemes for trainee teachers in maths, physics, CDT and (from 1989) chemistry.
- 2. Support for new initiatives in higher education institutions and the Open university for new types of initial teacher training and conversion courses.
- 3. The setting up of the TASC (teacher as a career unit to promote career and improve recruitment practices among local education authorities and initial teacher training institutions.
- 4. The support of publicity and advertising campaigns organised by
235 TASC. - 5. The introduction of new routes to teaching, including the licensed teacher and the articled teacher schemes.
- 6. The provision of education support grant as pump-priming support for LEA's local initiatives to improve the recruitment of new teachers not currently in service.
- 7. The provision of taster courses about teaching as a career for mature people seeking a new career in teaching.
- 8. The provision of funding through LEA training grants scheme for retraining courses to increase the supply of teachers in shortage subjects.
We shall continue and intensify our efforts to meet the demands of schools in the 1990s.