HC Deb 18 January 1990 vol 165 cc337-8W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what action has been taken by his Department to improve teacher recruitment;

(2) what action his Department has taken to improve teacher numbers in shortage subjects.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Since 1986 the Department has undertaken a range of measures to improve teacher supply. These include new initial and in-service training courses; the establishment of the teaching as a career unit to undertake national advertising and publicity; taster courses for those considering a career change; support for local initiatives to attract mature new entrants and former serving teachers; and the licensed and articled teacher schemes.

The measures have also included bursaries for initial teacher training students, and retraining courses, which have concentrated on the shortage subject areas.

Action programme on teacher shortage The table shows the principal measures taken since the introductionof our action programme on teacher shortages in 1986, and their costs to date.
Measures Total Cost £ million
(i) Bursary scheme for trainee teachers in maths, physics, CDT 6.381
(ii) Support for LEAs in-service training in shortage subjects in order to upgrade teachers' skills and conversion of teachers in other subjects to maths, physics and CDT 35.500
(iii) Support for new initiatives in higher education institutions and the Open University for new types of initial and in-service training provision, including distance learning packs and more flexible training arrangements 6.730
(iv) TASC (Teaching as a Career) Unit to promote teaching as a career and improve recruitment practices among local education authorities and initial teacher training institutions 0.725
(v) TASC advertising and publicity campaigns 1.179
(vi) Production of video teaching programmes by the BBC, Thames TV and Yorkshire TV for in-service use 0.435
(vii) Pump priming support for local initiatives to improve supply in shortage subjects 0.050
(viii) Taster courses for mature people and others to encourage entry or return to teaching 0.040
(ix) Regional conferences with the Scientific Technology Regional Organisation (SATRO) on how industry can help to alleviate shortages 0.010