§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many new teachers were recruited in the last academic year. [134713]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe numbers of full-time and part-time teachers recruited to the maintained sector in England during the two most recent financial years for which data are available are shown in the table:
1997–98 1998–99 New entrants 23,000 21,200 Re-entrants 29,300 27,500 Total entrants 52,300 48,700 All numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.
The number of retirements from teaching was unusually high in 1997–98 because of changes to the Teachers Pensions Scheme introduced by the previous Administration in 1997, which meant that more teachers than usual had to be recruited for September 1997.
The number of regular teachers in the maintained sector has increased by 6,900 since January 1998 and by 3,400 since January 1999.
The gap between the spending plans of the previous Administration and the increase in unavoidable pay, price and other pressures facing schools in 1998–99 was equivalent to employing 25,000 fewer teachers. But as a result of the extra £835 million increase in both education SSA and revenue support grant, teacher numbers (including supply teachers) increased by over 4,000.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many physics graduates were recruited into teacher training in 2000–01. [134348]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisData on recruitment to initial teacher training (ITT) courses starting in 2000–01 for each provider in England are not yet available. I hope they will be shortly. I will write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as possible, and will place a copy of the response in the Library.