§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students have enrolled at colleges of education in the latest year for training courses in religious education.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherIn the current session, 28 students commenced initial teacher training courses leading to a teaching qualification—Secondary Education—in religious education.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers in Scotland are qualified to teach religious education; and what is his estimate of the number of teachers required to teach that subject assuming the introduction of an O grade in religious studies as from 1984.
§ Mr Alexander FletcherIn the September 1980 school census, the latest date for which information is available, the full-time equivalent of 886 teachers employed in education authority secondary schools claimed that they held a qualification in religious education. Of these, it is estimated that approximately half held a formal teaching qualification—Secondary Education—in religious education.
The number of religious education teachers required in future cannot be estimated exactly; it will depend on the number of pupils taking the Ordinary grade course, which will be optional and will not be offered immediately in all schools, and on the provision made in each school for general religious education.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what entrance qualifications will be required of those wishing to enrol for teaching training courses in religious education.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThe qualifications required for entry to training courses leading to the award of a teaching qualification in religious education are set out in appendix A to the Scottish Education Department's annual publication "Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Courses of Teacher Training in Scotland", a copy of which is held in the Library.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has on research studies into the number of people in Scotland who wish to see a continuation or discontinuation of segregated religious schools in Scotland.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherNone.