HC Deb 03 November 1998 vol 318 c528W
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many physical education teachers were employed by local education authorities and grant-maintained schools in each year since 1979. [55783]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in England who were both teaching and had a post A-level qualification in physical education were as follows:

England
Year Number of teachers
1983–84 22,000
1987–88 18,000
1991–92 17,000
1996–97 15,000

Source:

Secondary schools staffing surveys since 1979

Similar information for primary teachers is not available. However, primary teachers are trained to deliver the whole primary curriculum including physical education.