§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate a national child abuse education campaign to explain the problem of child abuse.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe Department last year issued a circular entitled "Working Together for The Protection of Children From Abuse: Procedures Within The Education Service", which was designed to help local education authorities and others to increase the effectiveness of their efforts to prevent and deal with child abuse.
The circular discussed the potential contribution of the curriculum in this matter and invited local education authorities and schools to consider carefully the extent to which teaching should be directly concerned with warning children of the risks of child abuse. The circular also invited local education authorities to consider the extent to which, within their responsibilities for adult, further and higher education, there was scope for personal and social education about the prevention of child abuse.
The Department has recently asked local education authorities to report on the action they have taken to give effect to the recommendations of the circular.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set up a programme to train teachers to recognise the signs of child abuse.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe Department is currently providing grant of some £70,000 towards the costs of a programme to help local education authorities to train teachers in the protection of children from abuse.