§ 28. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the number of children in each of the Rotheshaw, Barnsley and Doncaster education areas who suffer from speaking difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the action she is taking to supply an adequate number of specialist teachers in this field overall.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe following table gives for these local education authorities the number of children ascertained as being handicapped by speech defects, together with the number of children in other categories of main handicap who also have some degree of speech impairment.
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JANUARY 1977 Speech defects (main handicap) Other main handicap with some speech impairment Special schools Ordinary schools Special schools Barnsley 1 22 55 Rotherham 2 — 90 Doncaster 1 8* 95 * January 1978. Details of other children with less severe speaking difficulties are not available. The needs of children with speech and language disorders are met jointly by teachers and speech therapists. At present there is no specialist qualification for teachers which is specifically directed to speech impairment. We shall be looking at the future training of teachers for different aspects of special education in the light of the report of the Warnock Committee.