HC Deb 14 February 2002 vol 380 cc605-6W
Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students entered PGCE courses in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and(d) 2000–01; and how many of them dropped out before completion of the course. [36007]

Mr. Timms

The information is not available in the form requested; there is no single central data collection for both the numbers entering PGCE courses and numbers completing them.

The numbers of new entrants to courses of initial teacher training at institutions in England are collected through the Teacher Training Agency's Annual Survey of Training Providers. The table shows the number of new entrants to PGCE courses in the years in question:

Table 1: Number of new entrants to PGCE courses, 1997–98 to2000–01
Number
2000–01 19,616
1999–2000 17,461
1998–99 17,415
1997–98 18,100

Note:

The figures cover providers in England only

Sources:

  • Teacher Training Agency (TTA)
  • Annual Survey of ITT Providers 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

Most PGCE trainees enter one-year courses.

The Initial Teacher Training Performance Profiles, published annually by the Teacher Training Agency, show the numbers of final-year trainees at institutions in England at 1 December who fail to gain Qualified Teacher

Status (QTS) by the end of their final year. The table shows this information for the three latest years for which data are available:

Table 2: Number of final year PGCE trainees who failed to gain QTS, 1997–98 to 1999–2000
Number of final year trainees Number failed to gain QTS at end of final year
1999–2000 17,167 2,320
1998–99 17,431 2,267
1997–98 17,998 2,634

Notes:

  1. 1. The figures cover providers in England only.
  2. 2. Number of trainees who failed to gain QTS includes those who failed the course, those who left before the end, and those yet to complete. Some of the latter group may have been awarded QTS at a later date.

Sources:

  • Teacher Training Agency (TTA)
  • ITT Performance Profiles 1999, 2000, 2001