§ Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what his proposals are for the introduction of the requirement that graduate teachers must be professionally trained; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Miss BaconThere has been some misunderstanding about the plans which98W my right hon. Friend announced during the Recess and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the opportunity to make them clear to the House.
My right hon. Friend intends that a person acquiring after 1st January, 1970, a degree (or one of the other qualifications which at present by themselves confer qualified teacher status) will not be acceptable as a qualified teacher in a maintained primary school unless he has in addition satisfactorily completed a course of professional training for teaching, and that this reform will be extended to cover also maintained secondary schools in the case of persons acquiring those qualifications after 1st January,1974. Thus the graduates of 1969 and 1973 will be the last who will be able to teach untrained in maintained primary and maintained secondary schools respectively.
The critical date for this purpose is that of the acquisition of the degree or other qualification, and not that of appointment to a teaching post. A person already in possession of one of these qualifications, whether or not now in teaching service, will remain eligible untrained for qualified teacher status and for appointment to any maintained school in which he can secure a post.