§ Mr. Bruceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will give an assurance that he plans to allow more deaf people to teach deaf children in accordance with the recommendations of the Warnock committee on special educational needs.
§ Mr. DunnThe appointment of teachers is a matter for local education authorities and school governing bodies. A severe hearing loss is not of itself a bar to teaching but employers are required by the Education (Teachers) Regulations to satisfy themselves as to the health of applicants and their physical capacity for teaching employment.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish his response to the representations he has received on the subject of the training of teachers for the deaf and blind.
§ Mr. DunnMy right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales are still considering their response to the ACSET report "Teacher Training and Special Educational Needs" and to the results of consultations on the report. It is their practice to publish their responses to reports from ACSET.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated saving in financial terms of the proposals for the training of teachers for deaf and blind children.
§ Mr. DunnThis proposal by the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers was not made for financial reasons and would be unlikely to lead to savings.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many deaf children and children of partial hearing there are in (a) special schools and (b) ordinary schools in each of the local education authority areas in England.