I think there are a lot of teachers who genuinely would not want their training to be disruptive to the class, and be happy to be paid to do it outside school hours

Estelle Morris, Education Secretary

She told The Independent newspaper: "We would have to pay for school teachers to go in and cover for their classes if they went off during the school day.

"I think there are a lot of teachers who genuinely would not want their training to be disruptive to the class, and be happy to be paid to do it outside school hours."

Teachers' conditions of service have already been amended by the School Teachers Review Body, which determines pay and conditions, to allow for overtime payments to be made.

But at the moment, head teachers only have the power to pay overtime for bank holidays and weekends.

The government says it is looking into ways to allow head teachers to pay staff for work they do in the evening after school.

A spokesman for the department for education said heads were being encouraged to look at flexible ways to allow teachers to train.

"Training outside school hours benefits teachers and pupils alike, with less disruption to the school", he said.

"Paying teachers to train outside schools hours saves on costs of bringing in supply teachers.

" We are looking at how heads might make more use of out of hours training - for example to encourage and reimburse teachers training during 'twilight' hours after school."

Maths and literacy strategies

From September, secondary school teachers will be given extra training in maths and literacy strategies.

Standards in primary schools have risen following the introduction of maths and literacy strategies and the government wants to repeat that success in secondary schools.

The maths and literacy strategies have been adapted for 11 to 14-year-olds.

Ministers are worried that many youngsters do not do as well as they could in the early years of secondary education.

If the overtime payments are brought in, it will be the first time nationally that teachers will have been compensated for extra-curricular activities.

Union welcome

The teaching union the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers has welcomed Estelle Morris' comments.

The organisation's general secretary Nigel de Gruchy said: " At least it acknowledges that extra demands are being made upon teachers. This is recognition that teachers should not simply be taken for granted and ought to be paid for such additional work.

"I am concerned, however, that decisions about whether to pay or not, must not be left to the whim of individual head teachers.

"The minister's statement is sympathetic and helpful but more urgent and detailed consideration is still needed in respect of teachers' overall excessive workload," Mr de Gruchy said.

Earlier this year the government agreed to teachers' demands for an inquiry into workload in the profession.