§ Sir George Youngasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that those on teacher training courses are able to carry out their probationary year, without which their qualification as teachers is impossible;
(2) whether he will extend the range of experience which qualifies for the probationary year to include youth service work, in order to enable teachers to complete their training periods;
(3) whether he will allow teachers to complete their probationary year in schools on grant terms, rather than on the normal terms of employment, in order to allow teachers to complete their period of training.
§ Mr. Gerry FowlerTeachers who have completed an initial training course successfully are granted qualified teacher status as soon as they take up their first appointment in a maintained school and do not have to wait until the end of their probationary period of service, the purpose of which is to establish their practical proficiency as teachers. My right hon. Friend is ready to deal sympathetically with recommendations from employing local education authorities in individual cases that the probationary period should be reduced, or dispensed with altogether, on the grounds that the teacher has already given sufficient evidence of practical proficiency in his previous employment; but I would not642W expect an authority to regard a period of youth service work by itself as providing such evidence.
§ Sir George Youngasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will implement the recommendations of the James Committee in respect of the intensification of in-service training, in order to allow newly qualified teachers to complete their probationary year.
§ Mr. Gerry FowlerThe White Paper "Public Expenditure to 1979–80" (Cmnd. 6393) provided for the phased introduction of induction training for newly trained teachers and the expansion of in-service training from 1977–78. However, as the White Paper made clear, this cannot represent a firm commitment, since all the Government's expenditure plans must be subject to modification in the light of the general course of the country's economy.