HC Deb 04 November 1998 vol 318 c592W
Mr. Jenkins

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures his Department is taking to increase the supply of science teachers. [57944]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Last week, my hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards announced a package of short-term measures to boost teacher recruitment, intended in particular to tackle problems recruiting secondary teachers in science and maths. Our proposals includea £5,000 incentive for all those graduates training in and going on to teach science or maths; a new scheme to match 600 of the 7,000 people who have already told the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) that they would like to train on the job as teachers, to existing vacancies as science and maths teachers; the establishment of a new network of advisers at regional level to co-ordinate and energise local recruitment activities in areas of the country where shortages are most acute; mobilising the Employment Service to encourage unemployed people with the right experience and qualifications to train or re-train as teachers; and launching a drive to encourage returners to teaching.

The package will give added impetus to the strong programme of action already being taken forward by the TTA to boost teacher recruitment.

Looking ahead, our Green Paper on the modernisation of the teaching profession, to be published before the end of the year, will propose a range of fundamental reforms to improve the attractiveness of teaching as a career.