§ 28. Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he proposes to increase recruitment and retention of teachers(a) in London and (b) elsewhere. [59132]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeWe will publish before the end of the year a Green Paper on the teaching profession which will propose a range of reforms to improve the attractiveness of teaching as a career. In addition to this, my hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards announced last month a £130 million package of measures designed to boost teacher recruitment in the short term. This includes the establishment of a network of local recruitment advisers in areas with high teacher vacancies. Eleven London boroughs—including Southwark—already know they will benefit from these additional resources. These measures will add to the strong programme of action already being taken forward by the Teacher Training Agency. This includes a number of activities focused specifically on London including next month's Teaching in London Event.