§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the proportion of students in teacher training colleges who do not receive a qualification enabling them to apply for a teaching post in maintained schools.
§ Mr. Bob DunnAvailable figures suggest that, of students entering initial teacher training, around 20 per cent. on undergraduate courses and around 10 per cent. on postgraduate courses do not attain qualified teacher status at the end of the course, whether as a result of withdrawing from the course or of failing to reach the required standard. The criteria for the approval of courses of initial teacher training issued in April 1984 stress that institutions should seek to identify, early in the course, those students who are satisfactory academically but unsuited to teaching so as to allow for the possibility of transfer to another course and that in no case should a qualification carrying qualified teacher status be awarded to a student whose practical classroom work is unsatisfactory.