§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which of the recommendations made by the report of Professor Adrian Smith's inquiry into post-14 mathematics education on secondary school mathematics teacher shortages he intends to act on; and if he will make a statement. [163825]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 26 March 2004]As I announced on 24 February, the Government will consider the report "Making Mathematics Count" carefully before deciding on the ways forward.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of(a) the shortfall of qualified full-time equivalent mathematics teachers, (b) the percentage and number of mathematics teachers who have no post A-level qualification in mathematics and (c) the percentage and number of full-time equivalent qualified mathematics teachers employed in tasks other than teaching mathematics; and if he will make a statement; [163826]
(2) how many full-time equivalent mathematics teachers with post A level mathematics qualifications there were in secondary schools in England in each year since 1997; and how many such teachers transferred to the further education sector in that period. [163827]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 26 March 2004]: Data about the subject qualifications held by teachers are collected periodically through a sample survey of maintained secondary schools in England. The most recent survey was conducted in November 2002 and showed that 76 per cent. of the teachers who taught some mathematics held a post A level qualification in mathematics, while 88 per cent. of mathematics periods were taught by teachers with a post-A level qualification in mathematics. We estimate that at November 1996 there were approximately 20,200 full-time teachers, who had a post A level qualification in mathematics, teaching some mathematics in maintained secondary schools. At November 2002 there were approximately 21,300.
Data on the number of unfilled teacher vacancies are collected through the annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies (Form 618g). At January 2003, there were 316 unfilled vacancies for full-time mathematics teachers in maintained secondary schools in England, 70 fewer than in January 2002 and 94 fewer 1396W than in January 2001. In the 1999–2000 academic year the government introduced Golden Hello incentives to encourage recruitment to teacher training courses in mathematics. Between 1998–99 and September 2003 the number of mathematics teacher trainees rose by 74 per cent. from 1,120 to 1,950.
Data on the number of mathematics teachers employed in tasks other than teaching mathematics or who transfer from the maintained schools sector to the further education sector are not collected centrally.