§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost is of introducing the teacher trainee tests. [3115]
§ Mr. TimmsThe cost of the introduction of the ITT skills tests up to April 2001 was £4.7 million. This included the development and delivery of the paper-based numeracy skills tests in summer 2000; the development and delivery of the computerised ITT skills tests in numeracy and literacy introduced in February 2001; and the development of the skills tests in ICT, which will be introduced in September 2001.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers who completed their trainee skills tests last year and are now in their induction year in schools have(a) not passed the skills tests and (b) applied for an extension to their induction period in order to retake the tests. [3117]
§ Mr. TimmsThe requirement to take a numeracy skills test during the induction period was only introduced for teachers awarded qualified teacher status last summer. These newly qualified teachers have not yet completed their induction periods.