§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications were received for courses of postgraduate initial teacher training commencing in September; and how many had been received at the same stage last year, broken down into those applying for secondary teaching in(a) maths, (b) foreign languages, (c) science and (d) technology. [126317]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisLatest available figures for applications for postgraduate initial teacher training courses in England and Wales for secondary teaching in208W maths, modern foreign languages, science and technology, together with comparative figures for the previous year are given in the table.
3 June 2000 5 June 1999 Mathematics 950 1,085 Science 2,167 2,324 Modem Languages 1,757 1,673 Technology 871 928 Note:
The figures are for applications as entered on the GTTR computer system.
Source:
Graduate Teacher Training Register (GTTR)
The Government announced on 30 March that training salaries would be introduced for postgraduate trainees starting initial teacher training courses from September 2000. Since that date, latest available figures show 1,119 (32 per cent.) more applications have been input onto the Graduate Teacher Training Registry computer system than for the equivalent period last year.
The number of trainees recruited onto mathematics postgraduate initial teacher training courses declined between 1994–95 and 1998–99. There was a similar decline in the number of trainees recruited onto science postgraduate initial teacher training courses between 1996–97 and 1998–99. Last year, with the introduction of "golden hellos", recruitment to mathematics and science was up on the previous year.
In recognition of the fierce competition for good graduates in mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, information technology and design and technology, as well as £6,000 training salaries, new style "golden hello" incentives of £4,000 were announced for postgraduate trainees in these subjects who pass their induction year and go on to take up a relevant teaching post. Since the announcement, available figures for all these subjects together show an increase of 379 or 22 per cent.