HC Deb 10 July 1990 vol 176 cc183-4W
63. Mr. Haselhurst

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about teacher recruitment in Essex.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Essex is receiving £60,000 education support grant this year to help with a programme of measures to improve teacher recruitment. These include the appointment of a recruitment team, local refresher courses for those returning to teaching, counselling facilities, work shadowing, keeping in touch schemes, local advertising campaigns and the provision of four creches for teachers' children.

In addition the local education authority and the county council's housing department are negotiating with a housing association to provide low-cost accommodation for teachers; the LEA plans to recruit 25 licensed teachers and is co-operating with Thames polytechnic and other LEAs on a scheme to recruit teachers from the Netherlands.