§ Lord Hanningfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What impact their decision to charge trainee teachers top-up fees from 2006 will have on teacher recruitment and specifically on the recruitment of mathematics teachers. [HL942]
§ Lord FilkinThe Government have made clear their determination to continue the success that their teacher recruitment policies have brought over the past five years. In mathematics, recruitment to courses of initial teacher training this year is some 58 per cent higher than in 1999–2000.
The Higher Education Act 2004 provides for courses of initial teacher training to continue to be part of the general fees and student support regime for higher education after September 2006, as they are at present. The Government will decide what additional incentives should be offered to trainee teachers, including mathematics trainees, in 2006–07 and beyond, in the light of the findings of Sir Alan Langland's review of gateways to the professions, which is due to report later this year.