§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether it is possible to qualify as a teacher of the deaf and blind in the United Kingdom; how many courses for training teachers in this area are available; if she will list these in the Official Report; and if she will give details of any plans to establish additional courses;
(2) what are the qualifications of the teachers who teach deaf and blind children.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonSubject to very limited exceptions, teachers in special schools in England and Wales are required, as are those in maintained primary and secondary schools, to have qualified teacher status. Teachers of blind, deaf or partially hearing pupils, except those engaged exclusively in teaching craft, domestic or trade subjects, in special schools are further required to have a recognised qualification in teaching such pupils and should obtain such a qualification within three years of taking up a post. Teachers of classes or units for the partially hearing in ordinary schools are required to have obtained a recognised qualification in teaching the deaf before taking up a post. Teachers of classes or units for children who are blind in addition to being deaf or partially hearing, whether in a school for the blind or in one for the deaf or partially hearing, must have, or obtain within three years, either a recognised qualification in teaching the blind or one in teaching the deaf.
Courses currently available in the United Kingdom leading to a recognised special qualification are listed below. The Diploma of the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf and the School Teacher's Diploma of the College of 659W Teachers of the Blind, which are obtainable through part-time study, are also recognised qualifications. One further course for teaching deaf children and another for teaching blind children are under consideration.
In January 1977 about 57 per cent. of teachers in special schools for the blind, 67 per cent. in special schools for the deaf
Course Duration For teaching deaf children i. The B.A. honours degree in Combined Studies at the Department of Audiology and Education of the Deaf, Manchester University. 4 years ii. The Certificate for Teachers of the Deaf at the Department of Audiology and Education of the Deaf, Manchester University. 1 year iii. The Diploma in Special Education (Hearing Impaired Children) at Birmingham University School of Education. 1 year iv. The Advanced Certificate in Education of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children at Bristol Polytechnic Faculty of Education. 1 year v. The Certificate of Training for Teachers of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children at Hertfordshire College of Higher Education, Wall Hall, Watford. 1 year vi. The University of London Certificate in the Teaching of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children at West London Institute of Higher Education (formerly Maria Grey College). 1 year vii. The Diploma in Advanced Educational Studies (Education of the Deaf) at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. 1 year, or 2 years part-time viii. The Advanced Diploma in the Education of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children at Oxford Polytechnic, Lady Spencer-Churchill College. 1 year ix. The Diploma in the Education of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children at Moray House College of Education, Edinburgh. 1 year For teaching blind children x. The Diploma in Special Education (Visually Handicapped Children) at Birmingham University School of Education. 1 year xi. The Bachelor of Philosophy degree (Education: Visually Handicapped Children) at Birmingham University School of Education. 1 year
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if teachers who teach the deaf and blind and hold the relevant qualifications to teach both the deaf and the blind receive an extra allowance; and what is the amount of this allowance.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe special qualifications recognised by the Secretary of State for teaching blind or deaf children are among a number of qualifications of various kinds listed in Annex D to Appendix III of the Burnham Primary and Secondary Document for which qualified teachers in maintained schools are entitled to receive an additional increment, within their salary scale, ranging from £102 to £231 per annum on current scales: not more than one increment is, however, payable under this provision regardless of the number of qualifications held. The maximum of a teacher's scale is extended by one increment for so long as a teacher is teaching blind or deaf children or children who suffer from both handicaps, if he holds a
660Wand 74 per cent. in special schools for the partially hearing held a recognised special qualification. It is not possible from the Department's returns to state the qualifications held by those teaching children who are both deaf and blind and figures are no: readily available relating to the qualifications of teachers in special classes or units in ordinary schools.
special qualification accepted for such teaching. These provisions are in practice also applied in non-maintained special schools.