§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether all teacher training colleges offer religious education in their curriculum; and if he will list any which do not.
§ Dr. BoysonMy right hon. and learned Friend does not control the content of initial teacher training courses, which is a matter for the training institutions themselves and their validating bodies. Information is not collected centrally about the provision for professional training in specific areas of the school curriculum. However, such information as is available suggests that the great majority of training institutions providing courses for intending general class teachers in primary and middle schools offer some element of training in religious education and the methods of teaching it. Some two-thirds of non-university teacher training institutions offer a main academic course in religious education which may be appropriate for intending specialist teachers of the subject.