Teachers (In-service Training)

HC Deb 21 May 1998 vol 312 cc518-9W

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his policy regarding training of in-service teachers. [42172]

Ms Estelle Morris

The Government are clear that their targets and agenda for raising standards can be achieved only if there is a substantial programme of re-skilling and updating the knowledge and techniques available to serving teachers.

For this reason, we are investing heavily in in-service teacher training. The Government are supporting £505 million for 1998–99 through the standards fund, at least a third of which is available for teacher training. Most of this is ring-fenced for specific priorities including the training for raising standards in literacy and numeracy and training for head teachers.

The Teacher Training Agency also provides approximately £21 million annually to providers of INSET. For the first time this year, this funding was allocated on the basis of competitive bids from providers to deliver in-service training for teachers. The bids were judged according to their capacity to meet identified national priorities.

Additionally we are investing £230 million from the national lottery between 1999 and 2002 in information and communications technology teacher training. We expect these resources to come on stream from spring 1999.