§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support he proposes for local education authorities for Government training for local management of schools in the 1989–90 and 1990–91 years; by what date he expects training for chairman and deputy chairman of training bodies in schools for local management of schools to be completed; when such training for governors should be completed; whether he plans to issue further advice to local education authorities as to the form such training should take; and what advice he proposes to issue in those cases where local education authorities fail either to produce adequate training for governors or at a sensible timetable for achieving this.
§ Mr. ButcherIn 1989–90 the Government are supporting under the education support grant programme expenditure of £4.9 million on governor training and £3 million on training support staff in schools, and, through the local education authority training grants programme, £10 million to provide management training for heads and senior staff in schools. For the year 1990–91 the expenditure supported is £5.1 million for governor training, £2 million for support staff training, and £8 million for headteacher training. Further support will be available in 1991–92. Local education authorities have a statutory duty to provide governors with such training as the local education authority considers necessary. It is for local education authorities to determine the nature and timetable of their training programmes. Local education authorities are required to state in their schemes for the local management of schools what arrangements they have made for support and training; the Department will be monitoring the use of education support grant funds and the level and quality of training provided.