§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on provision for the education of deaf children in the light of the British Deaf Association's report entitled "Raise the Standard: The Case for Improving Deaf Children's Education" and the associated declaration on the educational rights and needs of deaf children, copies of which have been sent to him.
§ Mr. DunnThe Education Act 1981 requires local education authorities to secure provision in ordinary schools for children for whom they maintain a statement of special educational needs, provided that account has been taken of the views of the child's parents, and that the placement is compatible with the special educational provision required by the individual child; the provision of efficient education for the children with whom he will be educated; and the efficient use of resources.
The Department is currently reviewing the provision of special schools for hearing-impaired children, in order to match the provision of places to the likely demand, in the light of falling rolls and the increasing move towards integrated education. Some schools for hearing-impaired children will have to close as a result of the effect of declining numbers; my right hon. Friend recognises that there will be a continuing need for special schools for some children, and it is his intention that those schools should be capable of providing a suitable and efficient education.