§ Mr. Conlanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she has taken, in the light of the more stringent entry requirements for courses of initial teacher training, to ensure that potential students with broad and diverse backgrounds, experience and interests, and including those from ethnic minority groups, have adequate opportunities to qualify themselves for entry to these and other courses of higher education and professional training.
§ Mr. OakesAs a contribution towards the policy of ensuring that all members of the community, including those from ethnic minority groups, have equal opportunities to develop their aptitudes and abilities to the full and, in particular, 381W to undertake responsible careers which bring them into contact with the community, selected authorities have today been asked to set up as pilot projects special preparatory courses. These should be designed to bring up to the standard required for entry to courses of professional training and to higher education generally potential students whose experience could be valuable in such careers but who lack the entry qualifications and have additional special needs which cannot be met by existing educational provision.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance she has issued about the basic qualifications to be required of future entrants to courses of initial teacher training.
§ Mr. OakesA joint circular which is being issued today by my Department (9/78) and the Welsh Office (99/78) confirms that the last general entry to the non-gratuate certificate of education course will be in the academic year 1979–80. Exceptions will be made only for one year non-graduate courses for holders of specialist qualifications in music, business studies, and craft, design and technology, which will be permitted to continue until 1983–84 in order to safeguard the supply of teachers in these shortage subjects.
In addition, the circular announces that all those who expect successfully to complete a course of initial teacher training leading to qualified teacher status, whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level,
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NUMBER OF NEW PLACES BROUGHT INTO USE IN ENGLAND AND WALES IN Calendar year (1) Primary Schools (2) Middle Schools (3) Secondary Schools Totals of 1–3 1946 … … … … … 20,000 — 14,040 34,040 1947 … … … … … 22,320 — 62,165 84,485 1948 … … … … … 37,765 — 96,890 134,655 1949 … … … … … 68,720 — 50,610 119,330 1950 … … … … … 89,280 — 38,350 127,630 1951 … … … … … 120,230 — 38,565 158,795 1952 … … … … … 156,620 — 46,765 203,385 1953 … … … … … 177,740 — 84,495 262,235 1954 … … … … … 125,015 — 72,035 197,050 1955 … … … … … 115,650 — 96,470 212,120 1956 … … … … … 107,595 — 130,575 238,170 1957 … … … … … 117,855 — 162,570 280,425 1958 … … … … … 98,080 — 196,830 294,910 1959 … … … … … 86,810 — 159,265 246,075 1960 … … … … … 83,305 — 133,525 216,830 1961 … … … … … 91,035 — 112,580 203,615 1962 … … … … … 81,490 — 112,880 194,370 1963 … … … … … 102,340 — 127,015 229,355 1964 … … … … … 116,250 — 161,970 278,220 at the end of the academic year 1983–84 will, on entry to the course, be expected to provide evidence of a level of competence in the understanding and use of the English language and in mathematics appropriate to those who are to be responsible for the education of the next generation. Passes at a minimum of Grade C in the GEC O level examination or Grade I in the CSE in English and mathematics are considered to provide a widely available and broadly appropriate measure of the level of competence required. With the exception therefore of candidates, mainly mature, who have had no reasonable opportunity to obtain these or other formal qualifications of an equivalent level and for whom alternative arrangements for providing evidence of an equivalent level of competence are to be made, all candidates will be expected to have obtained these or other formal qualifications of at least an equivalent level.
Copies of the circular "Entry to Initial Teacher Training in England and Wales" are available in the Vote Office and have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.