§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy in respect of the recommendations of the expert group on information technology in initial teacher training, which reported in March 1989.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe recommendations of the expert group which were for action by the Government have been implemented. The revised criteria for the accreditation of initial teacher training courses, published last November, require that initial teacher training institutions should provide all students with a specified minimum IT capability. In addition, we commissioned the Universities Funding Council and the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council to undertake a survey of the IT resources available to initial teacher training institutions. The survey was carried out at the end of last year and the results are being analysed. A number of institutions have commented on the expert group's report, at the Department's invitation. The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and Her Majesty's inspectorate will be monitoring the action taken by institutions in response to the revised criteria and the recommendations of the report.