GRANTS FOR TEACHER TRAINING, ETC. (Hansard, 21 October 1986)

Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this it will be convenient to take the following—Government amendments Nos. 169 and 170.
Amendment No. 172, in page 53, line 7, at end insert 'and in making such payments shall have regard to the provision of training for teachers of children with special education needs'. Amendment No. 171, in page 53, line 7, at end insert '(f) school librarians.'. Government amendment No. 173.

§ Mr. Freud
Will the Secretary of State reconsider clause 47 in which, having got powers to distribute money for in-service training according to his priorities, he lists teachers, youth and community workers, educational psychologists, local education authority inspectors and education advisers employed by such authorities? I ask the Secretary of State to add to that list the training of teachers who deal with special educational needs.
The Government have a precedent in that their own amendments specify the inclusion of education welfare officers. I cannot see that the Secretary of State has good cause to include education welfare officers and ignore those teachers who deal with special educational needs. It would be silly to compete with groups deserving of special mention in the clause, but there is a case to be made for special needs. A very small percentage of teachers are qualified in special needs. Mary Warnock estimates that 20 per cent. of children have special needs at some time, so most teachers will need skills to enable them to cope.
I hope that the Minister, even if she will not allow me amendment No. 172, will commit herself to looking at the amendment and perhaps giving some hope to the people who are desperately in need of more teachers for children with special educational needs.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
The Government acknowledge the importance of training for special educational needs. That commitment has been demonstrated by the fact that of the £200 million expenditure which is proposed under this clause in 1987–88 — about 10 to 15 per cent. up on 1124 present levels—it is proposed that £70 million should be used to support national priority areas, of which special education is one. It must be right, however, for areas of national priority to be decided from time to time in the light of the facts rather than to seek to predetermine them in legislation, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendments made: No. 169, in page 53, line 6, leave out 'and'.
No. 170, in page 53, line 7, at end insert— ';and (f) such other classes of person, employed in connection with the discharge of any of the functions of such authorities, as may be prescribed.'. No. 173, in page 53, line 32, at end insert— 'education welfare officer" means any person who is employed by a local education authority, or employed by any other authority in connection with education, and whose duties include securing the regular attendance at school of pupils of compulsory school age;'.—[Mr. Dunn.]