HC Deb 18 November 2002 vol 394 cc32-3W
Mr Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of progress toward his Department's targets for the recruitment of trainee teachers in 2002, broken down by subject. [81076]

Mr. Miliband

Provisional figures published today by the Teacher Training Agency show that 31,261 people have been recruited to courses of initial teacher training in England in 2002–03, 2,067 more than in 2001–02. This third successive annual rise in recruitment vindicates the Government's decision, announced last December, to make 1,900 more training places available this year than in 2001–02.

The table shows numbers of trainees recruited as a percentage of the total number of training places available by phase and subject. Figures do not include the 1,904 new entrants to the Graduate Teacher Programme so far this year, of whom 935 are training in the priority subjects of mathematics, science, modern languages, technology and English.

2002–03
ITT

recruitment

ITT

places

ITT recruitment

as percentage of

ITT places

Primary 14,447 14,000 103
Secondary
Mathematics 1,681 1,940 87
English & Drama 2,475 2,350 105
Science 2,648 2,850 93
Modern Foreign 1,733 2,050 85
Languages
Total Technology 2,401 2,500 96
History 985 950 104
Geography 1,028 1,100 93
Physical Education 1,324 1,200 110
Art 880 850 104
Music 608 700 87
Religious Education 576 700 82
Citizenship 185 200 93
2002–2003
ITT

recruitment

ITT

places

ITT recruitment

as percentage of

ITT places

Other 174 300 58
Secondary Reserve 100
Secondary Total 16,698 17,790 94
Total 31,145 31,790 98
Fast Track 116
Grand Total 31,261

Source:

Teacher Training Agency ITT Trainee Numbers Census 2002 (Provisional).

Notes

1. The recruitment figures by subject exclude the 116 entrants on the fast track teaching route, attending ITT in 2002–03 as part of the programme. Of these, 29 are train in primary, and 87 in secondary, (8 mathematics, 20 English, 22 science, 16 modern foreign languages, 1 technology, 13 history, 3 geography, 1 physical education, and 3 music).

2. The 2002–03 ITT target includes a margin of flexibility. The 100 places available under the margin of flexibility is used as a provision for the TTA to "vire" places between secondary subjects within certain parameters.

3. Other secondary subjects, includes classics, economics and other social sciences and other subjects.