§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the initiatives he has taken to assist pupils and teachers in special schools; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Sir Wyn RobertsIt is for local education authorities to ensure that appropriate provision is made in schools for children with special educational needs. The Welsh Office has issued guidance to LEAs and others on staffing for pupils with special needs and on the procedures associated with the assessment and statementing processes of the Education Act 1981. Further, the Department has made grant available, which is being continued in 1992–93, under the grants for education support and training scheme (GEST), for the in-service training of teachers of pupils who are visually or hearing impaired or who have severe learning difficulties and for the initial training of educational psychologists.
More widely, we are providing support to LEAs under the GEST programme for the implementation of school teacher appraisal schemes. Appraisal will help teachers, including those in special schools, to improve their professional skills and develop their full potential.