Teaching vacancies fall

(First Edition)

THE percentage of vacant teaching posts in secondary schools has dropped to its lowest level since 1979 when records began, according to figures released yesterday by the Department for Education.

Vacancies in primary schools are also at their lowest since figures were first collected five years ago. Schools are having difficulty finding teachers in some subjects. Language teachers were in shortest supply, followed by English, sciences and maths, according to January 1993 statistics.

The pupil-teacher ratio rose from 17.4:1 in 1992, to 17.7:1 in January this year.