Teachers of the Deaf

HC Deb 18 January 1988 vol 145 c193W

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many people need to qualify annually as teachers of the deaf, according to his Department's figures, in order to maintain the supply of qualified teachers of the deaf;

(2) how many people who qualified as teachers of the deaf during the academic year 1987–88 were seconded under the grant-related in-service training scheme;

(3) how many people training as teachers of the deaf in the academic year 1988–89 are seconded under the grant-related in-service training scheme;

(4) if current training arrangements will ensure that sufficient qualified teachers of the deaf are available to teach hearing-impaired children in ordinary and special schools.

Mrs. Rumbold

In 1987–88, the first year of the local education authority training grants scheme, funding for those qualifying as teachers of the deaf was not identified separately from that for teachers of other special educational needs. For 1988–89, we have made separate provision through the scheme to support the in-service training of 110 specialist teachers of the deaf. With the numbers qualifying through initial training this is estimated to be sufficient to maintain the supply of qualified teachers of the deaf.