HC Deb 20 July 1993 vol 229 cc105-6W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans),Official Report, 13 July 1993, c. 826, concerning teacher training, what additional funding for schools will be made to cover the costs of supervising trainee teachers in the proposed two thirds training time in schools; and, for the academic years 1995–96 and thereafter, what he expects to be the overall ratio of qualified and trainee teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Mr. Robin Squire

Schools which enter into teacher training partnerships with higher education institutions will receive funding from their partner institution: the amount transferred will depend on the nature of the partnership in each case. Schools taking part in the pioneering scheme of school-centred training will receive tip to £4, 000 per student, equivalent to the full cost of a PGCE course in higher education. All student teachers have for many years spent time in the school classroom; the 56, 000 students currently enrolled on courses of initial teacher training compare with a total teaching force of 450, 000. On current plans student numbers are expected to decline from 1995–96 onwards.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the intake into teacher training in the next decade based on the present birth rate; and what statistics and information he has available to plan for educational trends in the next two decades.

Mr. Robin Squire

In January this year the Higher Education Funding Council for England was given planning numbers for intakes into initial teacher training courses for the period 1993 to 1996. These were as follows:

1993 1994 1995 1996
Primary phase 14,295 12,930 12,115 10,855
Secondary phase 14,450 16,050 17,000 17,935
Total 28,745 28,980 29,115 28,790

These numbers were based on the latest projections of pupil numbers taking account of the Government Actuary's estimates of birth rates, and other indicators of teacher supply and demand such as total numbers, retirements and other wastage, and out of service teachers. The planning figures will be reviewed annually as new data become available. Estimates beyond 1996 will be made towards the end of the present planning period.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what studies he has made of the effect on(a) pupils and (b) staff of his proposal that two thirds of teacher trainee time shall be in the schools with particular reference to the quality of supervision and training that might be available in smaller schools; and which such studies have been published.

Mr. Robin Squire

The requirement that two thirds of a student's time is to be spent in school will apply, from September 1994, to postgraduate courses of training for secondary school teachers. The requirements for undergraduate courses, and proposed requirements for primary courses to take full effect in 1996, are set out in DFE Circular 9/92 and the draft circular on primary teacher training recently issued by the Department; both are in the Library. Schools able and willing to play a part in teacher training may choose to enter into partnership with higher education institutions. OFSTED will be monitoring the impact of these new arrangements on schools and students; OFSTED's "New Teacher in School" survey, published last month, noted that those with the most extended school experience felt best prepared for their first posts.