HL Deb 27 November 1986 vol 482 cc638-41

3.6 p.m.

Lord Ritchie of Dundee

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the teaching force in the maintained sector of education they consider to be inadequate; what form that inadequacy takes; and where the evidence is to be found.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, the Government believe that the teacher force is the major single determinant of the quality of education and they are committed to policies for enhancing the professional effectiveness of all teachers. Teaching quality is currently regulated through the work of the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education in the approval of initial training courses, through the Secretary of State's role in granting qualified teacher status and through the statutory arrangements for probation. The Government look forward to the early introduction of a formal appraisal system to underpin the training and development of teachers, including those experiencing professional difficulty.

Lord Ritchie of Dundee

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her informative reply. I should like to ask her whether she can say more about where the evidence of inadequate teaching is to be found.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, it may help the noble Lord to know that the HMI expenditure report for 1985 stated that the quality of pupils' work was being adversely affected by the quality of teaching in three-tenths of the lessons seen. It further identified a mismatch of qualifications, poor identification of pupil needs and unsuitability of teaching styles as being among the key determinants of inadequate teaching.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, will the Minister confirm reports that one-third of secondary schools have no qualified teacher of mathematics and that the situation is hardly any better in regard to physics? In view of the disastrous effect this will have on the country's future ability to stay in even the second rank of technological power, does not the Minister think that the Government should find some means, even if it be in the form of extra financial inducements, to retain and attract teachers of mathematics and physics so that our children may be properly qualified?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, I am not in a position to confirm the reports mentioned in the question asked by the noble Lord. However the Government, in favouring a pay structure which rewards good teachers and those with extra responsibilities with significant promotion and significant pay differentials, are aiming to attract teachers into areas where there is perhaps a scarcity.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, what additional resources will be made available for in-service training, since appraisal schemes without provision for training to deal with defects that are revealed is not much use?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, the Government are taking measures to improve teaching quality, as was stated in the White Papers Teaching Quality in March 1983 and Better Schools in March 1985. Following on from the White Papers there have been significant initiatives on the content of teacher training, in-service training and teacher appraisal.

Lord Gisborough

My Lords, can my noble friend say whether it is true that it is very difficult to find people to volunteer to teach in inner-city schools and that therefore many inner-city schools have to put up with less good teachers than they would like? Is this not similar to the excellent case made by the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, for additional remuneration for people who teach computer studies?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords the Government are reviewing the whole position of teachers' pay, as your Lordships will be well aware. The aim is to provide incentives to encourage teachers in areas where there are scarcer resources.

Lord Irving of Dartford

My Lords, does the Minister agree that teachers have been consistently misrepresented on the question of appraisal, and the majority have been in favour of assessment right from the outset? Can she assure the House that any appraisal system implemented will never be used as a smokescreen for surreptitiously introducing a merit pay award with the sole purpose of seeking out inefficient teachers and sacking them, but rather for determining those people who need further training and giving them such training?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, I believe that to suggest that the appraisal system is to be used to weed out inadequate teachers is a very negative way of describing a positive process. Systematic appraisal will ensure that problems are identified early on and that help can be provided.

Lord Parry

My Lords, returning to the issue of in-service education rather than in-service training, is the noble Baroness in a position to tell the House whether there are any authorities in Great Britain which no longer have in-service education facilities and whether that is a result of educational policies within authorities which have been affected by cuts in the education budget?

Baroness Hooper

No, my Lords, I am not prepared to confirm that statement. The Government's policies for improving the match of qualifications with subjects taught and for developing in-service training, as well as for the introduction of teacher appraisal, apply to all levels of school teachers and to further education as well.

Lord Elton

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that, whereas in-service training can make a good teacher better, it cannot rescue a bad teacher, and that consideration should be given to a way out of the profession for those who for many years have been trapped in it to their own frustration and that of the children?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, I agree with my noble friend. The system of appraisal that has been designed by the Government is intended to encourage teachers and, if necessary, to encourage them to take a different tack if the area in which they have been working is not suitable to them.

Lord Parry

My Lords, before the House becomes too enthusiastic about the implications of that supplementary question and its answer, would it not be true to say that the real poverty in British education today results from the fact that far too many teachers are leaving the profession—teachers who are good and who are leaving at 52 years of age—and the education service is the poorer for their exit?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, the noble Lord's supplementary question gives me the opportunity to say that the Government are fully aware that the majority of teachers are able, dedicated and work extremely hard. Indeed, the former system of appraisal was intended to ensure that such teachers are recognised. The proposals on pay structure made by my right honourable friend will ensure that they can be adequately rewarded in an effort to ensure that the best teachers remain in our schools.

Lord Tordoff

My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that in giving incentives to the teaching of physics and mathematics there can be a knock-on effect and that there is a serious shortage developing in this country of teachers of chemistry?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, we are aware of the situation.

Lord Glenamara

My Lords, will the noble Baroness say whether she considers that the proportion of inadequate teachers is higher than the proportion of inadequate Cabinet Ministers who never stop talking about inadequate teachers?