§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified teachers of(a) art and (b) computer studies there are in the high schools of Wales.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsInformation on the numbers of teachers and their qualifications is given in the Welsh Education Statistics Bulletin: No. 7 Secondary School Staffing Survey (1989), copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Table 5.5 provides an analysis of a teacher's highest qualification in any subject.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of Statt, for Wales what initiatives he has taken to assist local education authorities in Wales to provide computer studies courses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsA five-year strategy was introduced in 1988 to encourage the use of information technology across the whole curriculum. Funding under the education support grant and local education training grant (LEATGS) schemes for the purchase of computer hardware for schools, employment of advisory teachers and teacher training programmes has supported expenditure of £5.7 million since 1988. Further expenditure in excess of £2.3 million has been approved for 1991–92.
Additionally since 1987 more than £200,000 has been made available to local education authorities under the LEATGS scheme to ensure that further education teachers are confident and competent in the use of information technology in their teaching.