Annette Brooke MP Challenges Minister on Funding for Mathematics Teachers

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 1st Jul 2004

Addressing the Minister of State for School Standards, David Miliband, in the House of Commons today, Mid Dorset MP Annette Brooke asked:

"What plans he has to increase the number of qualified teachers teaching mathematics in secondary schools?"

Mrs. Brooke asked the Minister where the money to pay such incentives and salaries for mathematics teachers would come from given the massive underfunding facing many Local Education Authorities. The Minister assured Mrs. Brooke that central government funding would be provided to implement the new policy to increase mathematics teachers.

While the response must be a relief to the many traditionally low funded Local Education Authorities such as Poole LEA which are already hard pressed to pay basic salaries and meet all costs required by central government policies, the Minister failed to state how the education budget would be affected due to this sudden large funding announcement.

Given the severity of the crisis in Maths and science teaching in schools, dramatic measures are necessary to turn around the current shortage which is having such a serious knock on effect on the learning of mathematics by young people. However, Mrs. Brooke, a former social science teacher herself, said:

"Incentives are necessary to encourage more maths teachers into the profession, but I have deep concerns on how these financial sweeteners may dishearten excellent and inspirational teachers of other GCSE and A Level subjects who will not be entitled to such 'golden hellos' and dramatic increases in their salaries.

"Surely, this government should be looking at policies that make teaching a more desirable profession for high calibre graduates of all subjects to enter.

"We need to address the factors which do deter our graduates from entering the profession, such as the bureaucracy, form filling and poor discipline of students which take away the enjoyment of teaching and are the main reasons for teachers leaving their chosen profession."

A recent government inquiry into the teaching of mathematics concluded that there was a shortfall of over 3,400 specialist mathematics teachers in secondary schools, and that over 30% teachers teaching mathematics do not have a post A Level qualification in that subject.

This week the Department of Education launched a new initiative to increase the number of qualified mathematics teachers in schools, particularly by offering teacher training bursaries of £7000, 'golden hellos' of up to £5000 for a newly qualified mathematics teacher and salaries of up to £60,000 for experienced and inspirational Advanced Skills Teachers of maths.