§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will propose changes in the training of teachers to equip them correctly to explain the democratic procedures of Parliament and local government.
§ Mr. DunnThe criteria for the approval of courses of initial teacher training issued in April 1984 include the requirement that students should be given an understanding of the type of society in which pupils are growing up and of the relationship between the adult world and what is taught in schools. In particular, they should be equipped to help pupils acquire an understanding of the values of a free society and its economic and other foundations. Over the next three to four years all initial teacher training courses will be reviewed against the criteria by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, which will advise my right hon. Friend whether existing courses should continue to be approved and whether proposals for new courses should receive approval. My right hon. Friend has no plans to issue more specific guidelines on the content of initial teacher training courses.