§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to compile statistics of the group of children with minor disabilities who may be fully integrated into ordinary schools and may not have statements under the Education Act 1981 but who may need additional assistance on leaving school; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DunnUnder arrangements already made by the Department, the future collection of statistical data will be restricted to those pupils with statements and to those pupils who, under the transitional arrangements for the Education Act 1981, are deemed to have special educational needs because they were receiving, or were about to receive, special educational treatment immediately before the Act came into force. This information will be of direct assistance to my right hon. Friend in the exercise of his responsibilities towards this group of children. Information about children without statements requiring special educational provision which can be provided in ordinary schools will not be collected centrally but, as recommended in paragraph 4.78 of the report of the committee of inquiry into the education of handicapped children and young people, local education authorities will need to devise their own framework for recording such information so as to ensure that the necessary staff and other resources are made available to meet the needs of children in this group.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement concerning the current examination of teacher training with regard to the children with special educational needs and the Education Act 1981 being conducted by the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers; and if he will give details of the terms of reference of the committee and its work to date.
§ Mr. DunnMy right hon. Friend has invited the advisory committee on the supply and education of teachers to undertake a review with the following terms of reference
To consider existing provision for the training of teachers of pupils in special schools and units, the content related to special educational needs within general teacher training courses, and any implications for further education; and to report, making recommendations".The teacher training sub-committee of ACSET has established a working group to undertake this review with the aim that ACSET should report by Easter 1984. The working group has held two meetings so far.
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§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Brent, East on 4 November, Official Report c. 470, what percentage of the 140,917 handicapped pupils receiving special educational treatment in England in January 1983 are receiving education in (a) ordinary schools and (b) special schools.
§ Mr. DunnI should like to take this opportunity to correct the figure given in my earlier reply to the right hon. Member. The corrected figure is 145,155, and the percentages are as follows:
Percentage Pupils in special schools 84 Pupils in ordinary maintained schools 11 Pupils in independent schools 5