§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action is being taken by the Teacher Training Agency to increase substantially the number of male teachers in state primary and secondary schools. [HL1345]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandThe Teacher Training Agency is using a range of strategies to promote the recruitment of men to teaching, especially to the primary schools sector, where they remain most acutely under-represented. In addition to its main Those who can, teach campaign, the agency discusses and disseminates approaches to the recruitment of men to teaching at twice-yearly conferences with teacher training providers. Men who contact the agency's information line are sent direct marketing material illustrating, through the use of case studies, the challenges and rewards which male teachers have found teaching in primary and secondary schools. The agency also makes male teaching advocates available for recruitment events and for one-to-one telephone discussions with men interested in applying to teach.
The number of men training as primary school teachers in England has risen from 1,589 in 2001–02 to 1,717 in 2002–03 and as secondary school teachers from 5,483 to 5,851.