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Science: Teachers

Volume 470: debated on Monday 7 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of science teachers in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools have a GCSE science qualification at grade C or above. (174222)

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Information on the number of full-time teachers in service in secondary schools by the highest post-A-level qualification in the subject they teach is available from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS), an occasional sample survey last conducted in 2002 and 2007. 2007 figures are expected to be published in spring 2008.

The following table provides the number of teachers teaching each subject area and the level of qualification in that subject in 2002, the latest information available.

Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Highest post-A-level qualifications1 held in the subjects they teach2 to year groups 7-13, England

Percentages

Degree3

BEd

PGCE

Cert Ed

Other Qual.

No Qual.

Total teachers (Thousand)

Mathematics

42 ± 3

15 ± 2

9 ± 2

7 ± 1

2 ± 1

24 ± 2

28.2

English

51 ± 3

15 ± 2

7 ± 1

6 ± 1

1 ± 1

20 ± 2

29.4

Combined/General science

62 ± 3

12 ± 2

10 ± 2

4 ± 1

1 ± 1

11 ± 2

28.3

Biology4

71 ± 5

7 ± 3

11 ± 4

3 ± 2

- ± 1

7 ± 3

5.6

Chemistry4

72 ± 5

6 ± 3

12 ± 4

1 ± 1

1 ± 1

7 ± 3

5.2

Physics4

63 ± 6

11 ± 4

15 ± 4

3 ± 2

- ± -

8 ± 3

4.7

Other sciences4

10 ± 6

4 ± 4

5 ± 4

- ± -

- ± -

80 ± 8

1.6

French

54 ± 3

7 ± 2

10 ± 2

3 ± 1

2 ± 1

23 ± 3

16.0

German

47 ± 5

6 ± 3

13 ± 4

1 ± 1

2 ± 1

30 ± 5

6.9

Spanish

37 ± 7

8 ± 4

19 ± 6

- ± -

3 ± 2

33 ± 7

3.6

Other modern languages

18 ± 8

- ± -

9 ± 7

- ± -

3 ± 4

71 ±10

1.4

Design and technology5

26 ± 3

20 ± 3

7 ± 2

21 ± 3

2 ± 1

24 ± 3

20.9

ICT5, 6

13 ± 2

6 ± 1

8 ± 2

2 ± 1

3 ± 1

69 ± 3

18.9

Other/Combined technology5

30± 1 0

13 ± 8

16 ± 7

18 ± 9

2 ± 3

20 ± 9

1.6

Business studies

30 ± 5

11 ± 4

9 ± 3

4 ± 2

3 ± 2

43 ± 5

6.5

Classics

33 ± 7

- ± -

2 ± 4

2 ± -

- ± -

63 ± 7

1.0

History

57 ± 4

9 ± 2

6 ± 2

6 ± 2

- ± -

23 ± 3

13.7

Religious education

22 ± 3

8 ± 2

8 ± 2

4 ± 1

2 ± 1

57 ± 4

14.2

Geography

53 ± 4

9 ± 2

6 ± 2

5 ± 2

1 ± 1

25 ± 3

13.7

Other social studies

35 ± 5

6 ± 3

2 ± 2

2 ± 1

- ± 1

54 ± 6

4.9

Combined arts/humanities/ social studies

5 ± 3

4 ± 2

7 ± 3

1 ± 1

1 ± 1

83 ± 5

5.3

Music

59 ± 5

15 ± 4

5 ± 2

6 ± 3

2 ± 2

13 ± 4

6.3

Drama

25 ± 4

10 ± 3

12 ± 3

6 ± 2

2 ± 1

45 ± 5

8.1

Art and design

54 ± 4

10 ± 3

7 ± 2

9 ± 3

1 ± 1

20 ± 4

9.3

Physical education

25 ± 3

31 ± 3

6 ± 2

13 ± 2

2 ± 1

22 ± 2

21.4

Careers education

2 ± 2

1 ± 2

3 ± 3

4 ± 4

3 ± 4

87 ± 7

1.5

PSHE6

1 ± -

1 ± -

2 ± 1

1 ± -

- ± -

95 ± 1

61.4

General studies

1 ± 1

2 ± 1

1 ± 1

- ± 1

- ± -

95 ± 2

7.1

Citizenship

2 ± 1

1 ± 1

2 ± 1

- ± 1

- ± -

94 ± 2

9.0

Other

32.8

Total2, 7

33 ± -

10 ±-

7 ± -

5 ± -

1 ± -

44 ± -

388.4

‘-’ = zero or less than 0.5.

1 Where a teacher has more than one post-A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.

2 Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.

3 Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.

4 Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.

5 Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.

6 Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.

7 ‘Other’ not included in total percentages.

Source:

Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.