§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how the 20,000 new teaching posts to be created by 2002 will be allocated between(a) key stage 1, (b) key stage 2 and (c) key stages 3 and 4; and if he will make a statement. [159439]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisI assume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to our target to increase by 20,000 the number of teaching assistant posts by 2002. Between 1999–2002 we are making available to local education authorities in England around £350 million to meet the cost of recruiting and training the equivalent of 20,000 new teaching assistants. We have met our target a year earlier than expected—there has been a rise of over 25,000 full-time equivalent teaching assistants between 1999 and 2001. The appointment, training and deployment of teaching assistants are matters for schools and local education authorities to consider in the light of local needs and circumstances.