§ Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what effect upon the demand for places on diploma courses for teachers of mentally handicapped children he estimates will follow from the proposed requirement of a five-year period of post-diploma teaching experience before successful students become entitled to qualified teacher status.
§ Mr. Edward ShortI should like to remove any misunderstandings about the future status of those who hold the Diploma of the Training Council for Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped. I regard Diploma holders as fully qualified to teach mentally handicapped children and I would expect that they will in general find themselves well placed, by virtue of their training and experiencevis-à-vis Qualified Teachers in working within or applying for promotion in schools for the mentally handicapped. After five years' satisfactory post-Diploma experience they will also 45W be granted full Qualified Teacher status which will qualify them to teach in schools other than those for the mentally handicapped.
I cannot precisely estimate the effect which changes consequent upon the future transfer of responsibility will have on applications for Diploma courses. These will gradually be merged into the teacher training system and I hope as a result of the discussions which are taking place with Area Training Organisations and the Training Council that there will in 1970 be sufficient two-year courses leading to the Training Council Diploma and three-year courses leading to Qualified Teacher status to meet the needs of intending teachers and of the schools for mentally handicapped children. The one-year Diploma courses for older and experienced workers in Training Centres will continue to be available.
§ Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the basis of his decision to propose that teachers of mentally handicapped children shall not acquire qualified teacher status without five-year post-diploma teaching experience.
§ Mr. Edward ShortMy decision was based on a comparison of the minimum level of entry qualification, the length, content, breadth and standard of the one-and two-year diploma courses with those of the three-year college of education course. I took into account also the views of the large number of professional bodies which I had consulted. A recent revision of my Regulations makes explicit the long standing practice that persons possessing certain special approved qualifications, such as the diploma, are normally required to have completed ten years' teaching service before becoming eligible to be qualified teachers in the technical sense of the term. In halving this period for the holders of the diploma mentioned by the hon. Member, I have shown the high value I place upon it.
§ Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list the bodies and persons with whom he had consultations before making proposals as to the future qualifications and status of teachers of mentally handicapped children.
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§ Mr. Edward ShortMy Department consulted the following bodies on these matters last summer:
- Association of Municipal Corporations
- County Councils Association
- Association of Education Committees
- Inner London Education Authority
- Welsh Joint Education Committee
- London Boroughs Association
- Training Council for Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped
- National Union of Teachers
- National Association of Schoolmasters
- The Joint Four
- National Association of Head Teachers
- Universities Council for the Education of Teachers
- National and Local Government Officers Association
- Whitley Councils for the Health Services (G.B.), Professional and Technical Staffs Council B
- National Joint Council for Local Authorities Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Services
- National Association of Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped
- Society of Medical Officers of Health
- National Association for Mental Health
- Joint Council for the Education of Handicapped Children
- Association for Special Education
- National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children
- Association of Tutors of Training Council Courses
- Federation of Associations of Mental Health Workers.