§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to set up a teaching recruitment helpline. [73197]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe Teacher Training Agency already operate a telephone Teaching Information line and website providing advice and information for those wishing to train as teachers. The information line received 72,841 calls in 1998. Responsibility for advertising vacancies and managing recruitment and selection rests with schools and local authorities and vacant posts are widely advertised in the national and local press and on the internet. In October last year, I announced £3 million of funding over the next year for a network of local advisers who will assist schools with recruitment and co-ordinate local recruitment efforts.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will provide a breakdown of teacher requirement and recruitment rates on a regional basis. [73200]
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§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe following table shows the headcount of full-time teachers in service in the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector at 31 March 1996 together with recruitment rates1 by region.
Government office region of service Teachers in service Recruitment rate North East 23,000 7.5 North West 61,000 8.4 Yorkshire and the Humber 44,000 9.1 East Midlands 35,000 8.4 West Midlands 48,000 9.4 Eastern 46,000 10.6 London 57,000 12.1 South East 63,000 10.6 South West 39,000 9.7 England 418,000 9.8 1 Recruitment rate is based on entrants to teaching in a region as a percentage of full-time and part-time teachers in service. "Entrants" means new entrants to teaching, returners to teaching, maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector teachers changing region, teachers moving to the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector from other sectors, either in the same or a different region.