HC Deb 15 November 1984 vol 67 cc307-8W
Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is his Department's policy that the initial and in-service training of teachers should include an awareness of the economic, social, political and historical causes and effects of migration.

Mr. Dunn

Teachers and intending teachers should have an understanding of the nature of British society and are therefore likely to need an appreciation of the impact on it of migration. The time available within initial teacher training courses is however limited and may not allow for detailed consideration of a complex question. It is for local education authorities to consider the priority which should be attached to in-service provision in this area, in the light of the overall training needs of their teachers.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is his Department's policy that the multicultural dimension should be an integral feature of teacher training.

Mr. Dunn

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales have issued criteria for the approval of initial teacher training course which require that intending teachers should be prepared to teach the full range of pupils whom they are likely to encounter in an ordinary school, to respond flexibly to their diversity of ability, behaviour, social background and ethnic and cultural origins, and to guard against preconceptions based on the race or sex of pupils. Intending teachers will also need to have a basic understanding of the ethnic diversity of the society in which their pupils are growing up.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the Government put forward a reservation to the Council of Euorpe recommendation on training teachers for a multicore society at the 46th session of the Council; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dunn

The Government put down a reservation on the Council of Europe's recommendation on "The training of teachers in education for intercultural understanding, notably in a context of migration" because, for the reasons stated in the reservation, experience of responding to ethnic diversity in the United Kingdom led them to believe that the full recommendaion was not directly applicable in this country. I am sending the hon. Member the full text of the United Kingdom reservation.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is his Department's policy that teacher training preparation should include preparation for teaching host languages more effectively, and give student teachers the opportunity of learning the basis of one or more minority language.

Mr. Dunn

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales have issued criteria for the approval of initial teacher training courses which require that intending teachers should appreciate the importance for the learning process of the exchange of language between teacher and pupil, and that initial training courses for primary teachers should devote a substantial amount of time to the study of teaching language. Whilst teachers need also to be able to respond to the ethnic and cultural diversity of their pupils, there may not be time available in training courses to provide instruction in a minority language.