§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the subjects in which pupils require remedial teaching in order of the number of pupils requiring such teaching in these subjects, giving the numbers of these pupils;
(2) what is the average time per week during which a pupil who does receive remedial teaching, receives remedial teaching;
(3) which 10 educational authorities have the most pupils receiving remedial teaching in Scotland; how many pupils are involved in each of the 10; and what percentage this represents of the pupils at present in secondary schools in those areas;
(4) what percentage of the pupils in local authority secondary schools in Scotland receive remedial teaching; and what was the percentage five years ago;
(5) if he will make a statement about the present and future practice of remedial teaching in Scotland;
(6) how many children in Scotland are receiving remedial teaching at the latest available date; how this compares with five years ago; and how it compares with his Department's estimate of the number of children who will require remedial teaching over each of the next five years;
95W(7) what his Department's estimate is of the average time spent in remedial teaching per week by any one remedial teacher;
(8) what his Department's definition is of a remedial teacher;
(9) how many persons are working as remedial teachers in Scotland at present; how many his Department estimates were so working five years ago; and what is his Department's estimate of the number who will be required over each of the next five years.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellInformation on the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth of these Questions is not available centrally. Remedial teaching is required for backward and retarded pupils, defined respectively as pupils lacking in ability and aptitude and pupils whose education is retarded because of absence from school or other interruption or interference. Their needs are met either in specially formed classes or by withdrawing them from the normal class for remedial work in particular aspects of a subject. In primary schools the latter method is more common; in secondary schools the former. Decisions as to which method should be used in the circumstances of a particular school are for the discretion of the education authority.