Teacher Shortages (Hansard, 8 January 1990)

§ Miss Hoey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children have not been receiving full in-school education since the start of the 1989 autumn term in(a) Vauxhall constituency, (b) Lambeth, (c) the Inner London area, (d) the Greater London area and (e) nationally.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
The particular data requested are not all available to the Department. At the beginning of the 1989 autumn term, some 200 primary pupils in the area of the Inner London education authority, including about 100 in Lambeth, were sent home from school because of the shortage of teaching staff. The authority was able to recruit more teachers during the term and all these pupils returned to school. Other pupils, on a rotation basis, have been sent home for short spells. The authority is continuing to monitor the situation, and is keeping the Department informed.
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The Department does not have equivalent information in respect of the other London boroughs or other parts of the country.

§ Miss Hoey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action his Department will be taking to tackle teacher shortages, particularly in inner-city areas.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 14 November 1989 at column235. In addition, the teaching as a career unit will be assisting in a Londonwide recruitment campaign in collaboration with the ILEA and the London boroughs. My right hon. Friend has also asked the interim advisory committee to look at measures to improve supply in areas where vacancy rates are highest—particularly in Inner London.

§ Miss Hoey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of graduates entered a career in teaching in each of the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
Statistics of graduates entering teaching and of the total number of graduates can not readily be compiled on a common basis, so a precise calculation of the first as a percentage of the second is not possible. The table provides the best approximation that can be made from the available data.

(thousands)

¹(1) ²(2) Ratio of to (2)

1978 11.9 — —

1979 15.1 — —

1980 15.0 79.8 0.19

1981 12.8 82.9 0.15

1982 11.3 86.9 0.13

1983 11.8 91.7 0.13

1984 11.6 97.4 0.12

1985 10.2 99.3 0.10

1986 10.4 102.1 0.10

1987 10.7 104.0 0.10

1988 — 106.2 —

1989 — 107.5 —

¹ Graduates newly entering full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales in the 12 months ending 31 March of the year shown.

² First degree United Kingdom domiciled graduates from institutions in England and Wales in the previous academic year (including the Open University). (Figures include an element of estimation).

§ Miss Hoey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the total numbers of teachers leaving the profession each year for the last 10 years, indicating whether the reason was(a) retirement and (b) entering a new profession.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
The number of teachers leaving full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available is as follows:

Year ending 31 March

All figures in thousands

Number

1978 29.8

1979 32.7

1980 34.5

1981 33.5

1982 30.8

1983 29.4

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Number

1984 29.6

1985 31.1

1986 31.2

1987 29.0

Information on the nature of these departures is available only for the last two years, and even then does not provide a complete breakdown of destinations. The available data are:

Year ending 31 March

1986 per cent. 1987 per cent.

Percentage of teachers leaving full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England who:

transferred to other service, full or part-time, in the maintained sector in England or Wales¹ 15 17

transferred to teaching outside the maintained sector¹ 4 4

retired or died 34 30

others 47 49

¹ The Department's "Database of Teacher Records" does not provide complete coverage of the non-maintained sector nor of part-time service within the maintained sector, so these figures may be slightly understated (with the "others" correspondingly overstated).

The "others" category in this table includes teachers leaving for alternative non-teaching employment, but also those withdrawing for family reasons. The sex and age distribution of these cases (more than half are women aged 25–39) suggests that the latter group are a substantial part of the whole.

(thousands)
	¹(1)	²(2)	Ratio of to (2)
1978	11.9	—	—
1979	15.1	—	—
1980	15.0	79.8	0.19
1981	12.8	82.9	0.15
1982	11.3	86.9	0.13
1983	11.8	91.7	0.13
1984	11.6	97.4	0.12
1985	10.2	99.3	0.10
1986	10.4	102.1	0.10
1987	10.7	104.0	0.10
1988	—	106.2	—
1989	—	107.5	—
¹ Graduates newly entering full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales in the 12 months ending 31 March of the year shown.
² First degree United Kingdom domiciled graduates from institutions in England and Wales in the previous academic year (including the Open University). (Figures include an element of estimation).

Year ending 31 March
All figures in thousands
	Number
1978	29.8
1979	32.7
1980	34.5
1981	33.5
1982	30.8
1983	29.4

	Year ending 31 March
	1986 per cent.	1987 per cent.
Percentage of teachers leaving full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England who:
transferred to other service, full or part-time, in the maintained sector in England or Wales¹	15	17
transferred to teaching outside the maintained sector¹	4	4
retired or died	34	30
others	47	49
¹ The Department's "Database of Teacher Records" does not provide complete coverage of the non-maintained sector nor of part-time service within the maintained sector, so these figures may be slightly understated (with the "others" correspondingly overstated).