Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of secondary school teachers with a degree level qualification relevant to the subject that they teach.

The quality of trainees entering initial teacher training (ITT) overall is at an all time high, with 74% of trainees in the 2017-18 cohort holding a 2:1 or better and 19% holding a first class degree.

In addition, for EBacc subjects, 79.2% of teachers currently hold a relevant post A level qualification for the subject they teach and, of all EBacc subjects, 87.4% of taught hours is by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification.

The Department encourages talented graduates to teach key subjects through generous bursaries, worth up to £26,000 for priority subjects, and prestigious scholarships.

The scholarship scheme takes approximately the top 10% of ITT participants across the priority subjects of Chemistry, Computing, Geography, Languages, Maths and Physics and provides them with a scholarship bursary as well as enhanced subject specific support whilst completing their teacher training. Applicants who secure a scholarship have been successful at an enhanced selection process, led by the chartered professional body of the relevant subject, where they are expected to demonstrate subject expertise, particularly focused on curriculum requirements.

Currently all scholars, apart from Maths, receive an enhanced initial bursary of £28,000. Maths trainees receive an enhanced initial bursary of £22,000 with additional early career bonuses of at least £5,000 in their 3rd and 5th year of teaching. All bursaries are tax-free.