§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to improve teacher morale in Wales.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI am conscious of the pressures teachers face in this period of change. Managing change is never easy, but we have taken positive steps to minimise the burden and to allow teachers more time to adjust to the pace of change. I believe that our reforms will support teachers in their work.
For example, the national curriculum will give teachers clear objectives, and local management will give schools greater flexibility as to how these objectives are achieved. As the independent interim advisory committee noted, in the medium and longer term there should be substantial gains in the self-confidence of teachers as the new arrangements are successfully introduced, and increases in their job satisfaction as the educational benefits of the changes start to be realised in practice.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which teacher unions he has met; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI met representatives of the NAS/UWT (Wales) on 7 September. Both my right hon. Friend and I are always willing to consider requests from the teacher unions for a meeting.