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Science: Teachers

Volume 470: debated on Tuesday 22 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimates he has made of the proportion of (a) science and (b) mathematics teachers in secondary schools who were not qualified at degree level in these subjects in each year from 1995 to 2007. (163548)

The information is not available in the format requested, but information on the level of qualification of full-time teachers in service in secondary schools in the subjects they teach is available from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) an occasional sample survey undertaken in the years 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002 and 2007. Figures for 2007 are expected to be published in early 2008.

The following tables show the number of full-time teachers employed in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A-level qualification held in the subjects they taught in 1996 and 2002, the years for which figures are currently available.

Teachers in service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—highest level of qualification1 by subject of qualification2, at November 1996, England

Percentage

Total

Degree3

BEd

PGCE

Cert Ed

Other qual.

Total

Number (thousand)

Mathematics

47

18

15

17

3

100

27.1

English

49

18

14

18

1

100

31.6

Biology

55

13

14

18

1

100

11.3

Chemistry

66

10

14

10

100

10.7

Physics

53

12

20

13

2

100

10.4

General Science

29

13

44

13

1

100

15.5

Other Sciences

66

10

12

10

2

100

6.2

French

59

12

16

10

2

100

15.5

German

64

11

18

4

3

100

6.9

Spanish

68

5

21

6

100

2.5

Other Modem Languages

68

5

18

4

5

100

2.7

Design and Technology

16

32

13

35

4

100

11.1

Information Technology

36

17

19

8

20

100

4.9

Other Technology

47

13

6

19

15

100

4.4

Home Economics

13

25

4

55

3

100

6.8

Business Studies

31

22

18

17

12

100

4.3

Classics

83

3

7

2

6

100

1.4

History

54

14

14

17

1

100

19.2

Religious Education

34

20

17

26

3

100

8.6

Geography

43

22

12

23

1

100

15.6

Other Social Studies

70

14

8

6

3

100

11.3

Combined Arts/Humanities/Social Studies

55

19

14

11

1

100

4.2

Music

49

16

9

23

2

100

6.3

Drama

27

19

25

25

4

100

8.0

Art

42

17

9

30

3

100

10.8

Physical Education

13

37

11

38

1

100

22.0

Careers Education

11

10

11

20

48

100

0.9

Personal and Social Education

24

17

22

20

16

100

2.3

General Studies

20

23

28

24

5

100

2.2

General Primary Subjects

14

9

48

21

8

100

1.0

Other

45

13

10

10

22

100

21.5

Total2

44

18

15

19

4

100

307.2

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 qualifications). 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 in which they have a post A-level qualification

3 Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.

Source:

1996/97 Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey.

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

Percentage

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.