§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of teachers in Crosby have received computer training. [160444]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeStatistics on teacher training in ICT are not compiled on a constituency basis, but all teachers are expected to be able to use ICT effectively in the classroom. In-service training was largely addressed by the UK-wide National Lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund (NTOF) ICT training, which ran between 1999 and 2003, and to which some 96 per cent. of teachers in England signed-up.
Training in the effective use of ICT in teaching is also a mandatory part of teacher training institute courses.
Further training opportunities to address teachers' continuing professional development needs (CPD) in embedding ICT in classroom teaching are now being developed across a range of subjects, and teachers are able to buy into this training using Standards Fund monies.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in Crosby on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce them. [160396]
§ Mr. MilibandThe information is not available in the form requested. In January 2003, there were 10 vacancies for full-time teachers in maintained schools in the Sefton local education authority (LEA) area, which includes Crosby.
Like other areas, since 1997 Sefton has benefited from the initiatives that the Government have put in place to recruit and retain teachers and to increase the number of staff supporting them in schools. Since 1997, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained schools in Sefton LEA has risen by 120, from 2,540 to 2,660 in 2003. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent school support staff in the LEA has grown by 540, from 780 to 1,320.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Crosby in(a) each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [160397]
§ Mr. MilibandIn Crosby constituency there were 148 full-time equivalent teaching assistants in service in maintained schools in 2003. This is the latest information available. The table gives the corresponding numbers since 1997.
Number of teaching assistants 1997 89 1998 92 1999 103 2000 123 2001 145 2002 131 Source:
Annual Schools' Census