§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all colleges of education offer opportunities of instruction to students wishing to specialise in religious education.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD SANDFORD)Not all, my Lords. Of the 152 colleges and 7 polytechnic departments of education providing teacher-training courses in England and Wales, 128 offer opportunities for specialising in religious education as a main course of study.
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether he is aware that many people are disturbed by the decline in the teaching of religious education in schools, and would he press his right honourable friend to see that every college of education offers those who wish to specialise the opportunity to do so?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, that may be so; but there are plenty of courses for teachers who wish to specialise in this subject: indeed, some of them are badly under-subscribed. There has been a shortage of teachers in this subject, but the situation is now improving.
§ LORD SOMERSMy Lords, the noble Baroness asked that there should be an opportunity to specialise given to those who wish to do so. Does the noble Lord not consider it to be essential, particularly in view of the state of our country today, that everybody should have at least a basic grounding in Christian education?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, that has always been one of the basic tenets of our educational system. As I say, there have always been ample courses, but the problem has been that some are under-subscribed.
§ LORD ELTONIs the noble Lord the Minister aware that religious education is commonly taught as a supplementary subject by many teachers, and if facilities are not available for them to be instructed in this subject in their colleges of education, before they undertake their teaching duties, their teaching of this particular subject is often badly done? Would the noble Lord not agree that this is a very bad thing for the nation, as well as for education?
§ LORD SANDFORDYes, my Lords, but I think my remarks indicated that there are ample courses available.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, if there were to be a shortage of teachers in these establishments, would my noble friend remember that there are plenty of Bishops retiring in the prime of life, and that they might well act as teachers?