§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales in what ways the duties of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools in Wales have changed in response to (a) the work of the Manpower Services Commission and (b) the emerging needs of unemployed young people aged 16 to 25 years.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasIt is, and will continue to be, the role of Her Majesty's inspectors to assess standards and trends in the education system, to identify and make known good practice and promising developments, to draw attention to weaknesses requiring attention and to provide advice and assistance to those with responsibilities for or in the institutions in the system. The part played by the education system in meeting the needs of the Manpower Services Commission and of unemployed young people falls within this remit and will be the subject of attention by Her Majesty's inspectors in the course of their inspection programme.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what roles it is intended that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools should have in the bodies to be established in Wales to replace the Schools Council Committee for Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasThe Chief Inspector (Wales) will be one of the two Welsh Office assessors sitting with the Wales committee of the school curriculum development committee. Other members of the inspectorate will probably be involved from time to time in some of the committee's work.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the plans of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools in Wales for monitoring the quality of pre-service and in-service education of teachers in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasHer Majesty's Inspectors will be visiting teacher training institutions in the public sector and, by invitation, university departments of education as part of a review of all existing courses of initial teacher training. The findings of these visits will be reported to the Secretary of State who will make them available to the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education which is charged with undertaking the review in both England and Wales and which will be advising my 123W right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether courses are suitable for the professional preparation of teachers.
In-service education of teachers will continue to be the subject of attention by Her Majesty's Inspectors.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what role Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools in Wales is playing in the evaluation of the operation and consequences of the youth training scheme in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasThe contribution of the education system to the youth training scheme in Wales is the subject of attention by Her Majesty's Inspectors in the course of their inspection programme.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what plans he has to define the boundaries between the work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools and the development of educational policy in Wales; and if he will make a statement; (2) what the differences in duties are between Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools and local authority education advisers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasThe work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate derives from its service to the Secretary of State in connection with his statutory functions, and includes advising the Secretary of State on the performance of the education system nationally whilst also offering advice and assistance to local education authorities and institutions. Local education authority advisers generally inform authorities about the institutions they maintain and offer advice and assistance to those institutions. The work of the two groups is complementary and both contribute to the development of education policy, at appropriate levels. The hon. Gentleman may care to re-read the policy statement issued in March 1983 by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales, a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current staffing level of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools in Wales; and what is the anticipated staffing level in the period 1984 to 1988.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasAt 1 April 1984 there were 46 inspectors in post in the Welsh Inspectorate, which is currently below strength. Inspectors are being recruited and the anticipated staffing level for the period to 1 April 1988 is 56 inspectors.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales in what ways Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools in Wales is publicly accountable for its actions other than those associated with formal inspections; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasHer Majesty's Inspectorate in Wales is accountable in the same way as other civil servants.