§ 9. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make an estimate of the number of teachers needed to implement the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIt is not possible at this stage to provide such an estimate, but it is not expected that there will be a substantial increase in teacher numbers to implement the national curriculum; there will, however, be a need for specific programmes of in-service training for existing teachers in support of it.
§ Mr. GreenwayWhen does my hon. Friend expect to start implementing the national curriculum and by what date does he expect the implementation to be completed? What is he doing to recruit and train the additional teachers, whom he mentioned were necessary?
§ Dr. MawhinneyWe hope to introduce the first programmes of study in September 1990, and £30 million will be set aside over the next three years to support the implementation of the national curriculum—including the retraining of teachers to which my hon. Friend referred.