HC Deb 19 October 1998 vol 317 c1012W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the sports which trainee physical education teachers specialised in to gain their qualifications in the last year for which figures are available. [55403]

Mr. Charles Clarke

This information is not available in the form requested. 1,644 students entered physical education Initial Teacher Training in England in 1997/98; however, the Department does not collect information on the sport in which these students specialised.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many qualified physical education teachers there are in English schools. [55377]

Mr. Charles Clarke

There were some 26,000 full and part-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in 1996/97 who had a post A level qualification in physical education. Similar information for primary schools is not available. However, primary teachers are trained to deliver the whole primary curriculum including physical education.