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Postgraduate Teacher Training

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications were received for courses of postgraduate initial teacher training commencing in September; and how many had been received at the same stage last year, broken down into those applying for secondary teaching in (a) maths, (b) foreign languages, (c) science and (d) technology. [126317]

Ms Estelle Morris: Latest available figures for applications for postgraduate initial teacher training courses in England and Wales for secondary teaching in

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maths, modern foreign languages, science and technology, together with comparative figures for the previous year are given in the table.

	3 June 2000	5 June 1999
Mathematics	950	1,085
Science	2,167	2,324
Modern Languages	1,757	1,673
Technology	871	928

Note:

The figures are for applications as entered on the GTTR computer system.

Source:

Graduate Teacher Training Register (GTTR)

The Government announced on 30 March that training salaries would be introduced for postgraduate trainees starting initial teacher training courses from September 2000. Since that date, latest available figures show 1,119 (32 per cent.) more applications have been input onto the Graduate Teacher Training Registry computer system than for the equivalent period last year.

The number of trainees recruited onto mathematics postgraduate initial teacher training courses declined between 1994-95 and 1998-99. There was a similar decline in the number of trainees recruited onto science postgraduate initial teacher training courses between 1996-97 and 1998-99. Last year, with the introduction of "golden hellos", recruitment to mathematics and science was up on the previous year.

In recognition of the fierce competition for good graduates in mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, information technology and design and technology, as well as £6,000 training salaries, new style "golden hello" incentives of £4,000 were announced for postgraduate trainees in these subjects who pass their induction year and go on to take up a relevant teaching post. Since the announcement, available figures for all these subjects together show an increase of 379 or 22 per cent.

Class Sizes (East Sussex)

Mr. Caplin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average primary school class size in East Sussex was for each year since 1979. [126640]

Ms Estelle Morris: The requested information is shown in the table.

In East Sussex, the number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher was 1,240 compared with 6,439 a year earlier, which represented an 80 per cent. reduction in the number of such pupils. The Government are well on target to deliver their pledge to limit the size of infant classes to 30 pupils. During the same time period, the average size of classes in maintained primary schools for the unitary authorities of East Sussex and Brighton also fell. This was the first year for some time that average primary class sizes in either the new or old authorities of East Sussex had fallen, after class sizes had shown a steady increase since 1987.

East Sussex local education authority area has been allocated £4 million of funding so far to support their efforts in reducing infant class sizes. This funding comprises some £1.1 million of capital funding and £2.8 million of revenue funding.

Size of classes taught by one teacher in maintained primary schools in the local education authority areas of East Sussex and Brighton 1979 to 2000Position as at January

	Key stage 1						Key stage 2			Overall primary(9)
	Average class size			Pupils in classes of more than 30 pupils			Average class size			Average class size
	East Sussex(10)	Brighton(10)	East Sussex(11)	East Sussex(10)	Brighton(10)	East Sussex(11)	East Sussex(10)	Brighton(10)	East Sussex(11)	East Sussex(10)	Brighton(10)	East Sussex(11)
2000(12)	26.1	27.3	--(13)	1,240	2,262	--(13)	30.2	29.3	--(13)	28.2	28.2	--(13)
1999	27.5	28.0	--(13)	6,439	2,811	--(13)	29.9	29.2	--(13)	28.7	28.5	--(13)
1998	27.3	28.5	--(13)	6,433	3,422	--(13)	29.4	28.9	--(13)	28.3	28.6	--(13)
1997	--(13)	--(13)	27.9	--(13)	--(13)	10,130	--(13)	--(13)	28.9	--(13)	--(13)	28.2
1996	--(13)	--(13)	27.4	--(13)	--(13)	8,927	--(13)	--(13)	28.2	--(13)	--(13)	27.7
1995	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	27.5
1994	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	27.4
1993	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	27.1
1992	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	26.9
1991	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	26.6
1990	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	26.0
1989	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.9
1988	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.8
1987	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.5
1986	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	26.3
1985	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.8
1984	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	24.6
1983	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	24.5
1982	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	24.9
1981	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.3
1980	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.2
1979	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	--(14)	--(13)	--(13)	25.9

(9) Includes nursery classes and mixed key stage classes

(10) After local government reorganisation

(11) Before local government reorganisation

(12) Provisional

(13) Not applicable

(14) Not available (information not collected by specific key stages)

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21 Jun 2000 : Column: 209W

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