Teacher numbers are at an all-time high; there are over 457,000 FTE teachers in state-funded schools throughout England. There are 15,500 secondary phase religious education (RE) teachers, and this number has remained broadly stable since 2010.<\/p>
<\/p>
We recruited 405 trainee RE teachers in 2017/18. To recruit even more RE teachers, we are continuing to offer a generous bursary of up to £9,000 for RE trainee teachers. There are also School Direct salaried places for RE trainees, where trainees can receive a salary during their training year.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-06T17:50:16.217Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Religion: Education"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there is an adequate number of religious education teachers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "129676"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/805971", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/805971/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Plans to improve construction skills were set out in the recent Industrial Strategy White Paper. In particular, we will be making the Construction Industry Training Board more effective and accountable, and will be putting in place support for construction skills as part of the National Retraining Scheme, using additional funding announced in the Budget.<\/p>
<\/p>
The government also announced ambitious plans to increase homebuilding, with a target of 300,000 homes a year in England by 2025. The department is working with employers and others to make sure there are enough people with the right skills to deliver these plans.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne Milton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Guildford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne Milton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-22T10:51:31.783Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Construction: Skilled Workers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what strategy his Department has in place to ensure sufficient skills for the housing construction programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "119181"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/805973", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/805973/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
An eligible student qualifies for financial support in connection with a designated course subject to and in accordance with these the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 (as amended). To meet the requirements for support, a student should have settled status or a recognised connection with the United Kingdom: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1986/regulation/4/made<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> The Student Loans Company (SLC) has arrangements in place to collect repayments from borrowers who move away from the UK and establishes a repayment schedule based on the borrower\u2019s income and provides information on the methods of repayment available.<\/p> <\/p> If borrowers based overseas fail to remain in contact with the SLC, the SLC will set up a fixed repayment schedule and place those borrowers in arrears. Borrowers with post-2012 loans who have not remained in contact with the SLC are charged the maximum interest rate of RPI+3% until they get back in touch. Further action, including legal action, can then be taken to secure recovery.<\/p> The department published a Joint Repayment Strategy in February 2016, which sets out how action will be taken to trace borrowers and act to recover loans where avoidance or evasion is identified. This publication can be found on the government\u2019s website.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4039", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Orpington"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Joseph Johnson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-19T20:16:19.54Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Students: Loans"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to prevent foreign students from not repaying outstanding loans in respect of private university fees.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "119183"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/788568", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/788568/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Schools are free to teach first aid, and many schools already choose to teach it as part of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), building on the relevant statutory content in the National Curriculum, such as the science programmes of study at key stages 3 and 4.<\/p> <\/p> Schools are free to draw on materials from expert organisations; for example the non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association, which encourages schools to teach young people how to recognise and follow health and safety procedures, ways of reducing risk and minimising harm in risky situations, and how to use emergency and basic first aid.<\/p> <\/p> The Children and Social Work Act provides powers for the Secretary of State to make PSHE, or elements therein, mandatory in all schools, subject to careful consideration.<\/p> We have begun an engagement process to support the development of the regulations and guidance on Relationships Education for primary schools, and Relationships and Sex Education for secondary schools, and to be able to consider carefully the future status of PSHE.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-21T16:20:28.963Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "First Aid: Education"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that first aid is taught in schools.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "112774"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/782721", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/782721/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "