§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made on the proposal to foster the growth of a network of centres of scholarship and professional expertise contained in his Department's 1977 Green Paper "Education in Schools, A Consultative Document"; what discussions have been held on this; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Keith JosephThe concept of a network of centres of scholarship and professional expertise always included an intention to build on existing strengths. In so far as the Department, through the approval of long courses, has been able to control the development of teacher training establishments the process of building on strength has begun, particularly in the fields of primary education, mathematics and special needs, amongst others.
The centres were to include both initial and in-service work and the build up of scholarship for both required national and regional co-ordination which, due to the extended consultation about the control of higher education, has not yet been possible.
To a marked extent the context in which teacher training takes place has changed since 1977. The economic situation of the country means that resources are less plentiful than envisaged with the result that change and development proceed more slowly; additionally, the longer-term forecasts of the need for newly-trained teachers are now much lower than they were in 1977, with the consequence that establishments involved in teacher training are looking to contract rather than to expand. These changes, however, give particular point to the need to concentrate resources for particular purposes and it is against this altered background that the advisory committee on the supply and education of teachers is now considering how the teacher training structure should be reorganised. I expect to receive its advice next year.