§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether Irish teachers who qualified in the Republic of Ireland will become licensed teachers from September when employed by British local education authorities;
(2) whether Irish teachers who qualified in the Republic of Ireland will, from September, be fully and automatically recognised by his Department on application by the employing local education authority; and whether applications for recognition will be processed within a two-week period;
(3) whether route 2(b) application procedure for his Department's recognition by Irish teachers seeking qualified teachers' status will still be available from September as the self-advocacy route to his Department's recognition;
(4) whether route 2(e) application procedure for his Department's recognition by Irish teachers seeking qualified teachers' status will be abolished in September.
§ Mrs. RumboldWe propose, subject to further consultation, to lay regulations before the House introducing the licensed teacher route to qualified teacher status from September 1989. This will replace all existing routes to qualified teacher status other than the successful completion of a course of initial teacher training in England or Wales. Local education authorities will then be free to employ teachers trained in Ireland as licensed teachers who will progress to qualified teacher status after up to 2 years' satisfactory performance as licensees.