§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have left the profession in each year since 1997. [125367]
§ Mr. MilibandThe table shows the numbers of teachers leaving1 full-time or part time2 service in the maintained schools sector in England since 1997. Data to 2001 are the most recent available.
108W1 Leavers are those who were in full-time or part-time teaching in the maintained schools sector immediately before the period shown, who were not in service in that sector at the end of the period shown. It includes teachers that have retired. Teachers leaving are based on pension returns. Some teachers may have moved from known service to service not recorded on the teacher pension return. Some leavers will be taking career breaks and will return to service at a later date.
2 Around 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of part-timers may not be included.
Teachers leaving 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 35,650 1 April 1997 to 31 March 19981 39,050 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 31,910 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 34,930 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 35,440 1 Higher than usual numbers of premature retirements, following changes to the retirement regulations, contributed to the high levels of leavers in 1997–98. In 2000–01 40,300 teachers entered teaching full-time or part time in the maintained sector in England, including 13,000 teachers that had returned to teaching after previously leaving the profession.