§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has had from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf; what reply he is sending; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe chief executive of the institute has written recording the institute's recognition of the potential benefits of the in-service training route for specialist teachers of the deaf, stressing the need to ensure an adequate supply of trained teachers through this route and proposing a meeting to discuss how to encourage teachers to take up the training opportunities available to them. The reply from my predecessor sets out our intention to ensure sufficient in-service training in this field through the new training grant scheme. The chief executive and education officer of the institute met officials of the Department last Friday.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many places allocated to initial teacher training in special needs are currently filled by student teachers of the deaf; how many teachers of the deaf in training now are funded by full secondment from their local education authority; how many teachers of the deaf are receiving training in 1986 on full-time courses.
§ Mrs. RumboldThere are currently two courses of initial teacher training for teachers of the deaf, both at Manchester university. One is a four-year undergraduate course, to which intakes in 1983, 1984 and 1985 were 28, 28 and 27 respectively. The other is a one-year postgraduate course to which the intake in 1985 was 10. The numbers of students admitted to training in the academic year 1986–87 are not yet available.
Information on the number of student teachers of the deaf on full secondment from a local education authority is not available. 86 students beginning a course of training to teach the deaf in 1985 were employed in maintained schools or institutions of further education.
120 student teachers of the deaf began full-time courses of training in 1985.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ensure that the new arrangements to fund the training of teachers of the deaf will be reviewed 12 months after they have been introduced.
§ Mrs. RumboldYes.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many places he envisages funding for training for teachers of the deaf through the in-service pooling arrangements;
(2) if he intends to issue advice to local education authorities regarding the number of places earmarked through the in-service pooling arrangements for training of teachers of the deaf.
§ Mrs. RumboldFunds will be available in 1987–88 to support the present level of in-service training. The arrangements for administering the allocations covering the academic year 1988–89 and later will also take account of the need for additional in-service training to replace the initial teacher training for teachers of the deaf which will then be being phased out.