HC Deb 01 November 1999 vol 337 c65W
Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many of the 4,500 extra teachers provided for under the Class Size Initiative had been recruited as at 30 September; of those recruited, how many came from existing jobs in(a) infant classes and (b) junior classes; and how many were newly-qualified teachers; [96833]

(2) how many teachers were in post in infant classes as at 30 September 1998 and 30 September 1999. [96832]

Ms Estelle Morris

We have provided funding for 4,500 extra teachers from September 1999 to implement our infant class size pledge. Of this number, 3,000 are additional to the 1,500 we funded from September 1998. LEAs have informed us that they have employed the extra teachers for which they received funding. Full statistical returns of the number of teachers in post are collected each January. We do not hold information on where individual teachers are recruited from, but we are providing Local Education Authorities with the resources to take on additional teachers to enable them to reduce infant classes to 30 or below.