§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether teacher training colleges have any latitude in interpreting the recommendations of the committee for course accreditation for teacher education.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIn order to be approved by the Department of Education, courses of initial teacher training in Northern Ireland must meet criteria laid down by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Some of these criteria prescribe specific requirements which must be met; but others are not so prescriptive, 229W seeking rather to establish a framework within which courses should be organised. Thus under the criteria relating to the selection and admission of students to postgraduate courses, it is for the institution to determine how appropriate the content of the entrant's initial degree is to the primary or secondary curriculum.
The colleges in Northern Ireland have exactly the same degree of latitude in this respect as their counterparts in England and Wales.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of those colleges whose graduates' training and qualifications are(a) likely to be acceptable and (b) unlikely to be acceptable for course accreditation for teacher education and entry to a recognised teacher training course.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThis information is not available in the form requested. However, I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that all courses provided by Northern Ireland's two colleges of education meet the criteria laid down by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any discussions have been held between the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) and education and library boards in relation to retraining for teachers or training for alternative careers for teachers experiencing difficulty coping with education reforms and curriculum changes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe Department of Education for Northern Ireland regularly discusses all aspects of the in-service training of teachers with the area boards. These have embarked on major training programmes in fulfilment of their statutory responsibility to ensure that all teachers in grant-aided schools in their areas have the necessary skills to implement the various aspects of education reform, including the common curriculum.
To assist the boards to implement such a programme, substantial additional resources, both money and additional staff training time have been made available to each board.
I am very pleased with the way in which Northern Ireland's teachers are responding to these changes.