§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the need for mandatory qualifications for peripatetic teachers of children with a hearing impairment.
§ Mr. FallonPart IV of the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1989 applies only to the employment of teachers at schools. The regulations do not apply to part-time teachers, not to peripatetic teachers. The aim of the regulations is to ensure that teachers of classes of hearing impaired children have a mandatory qualification.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the number of training places in higher education establishments for practising and trainee teachers to become teachers of deaf pupils.
§ Mr. FallonTrainee teachers cannot become teachers of the deaf, since a period of post-training experience is required of all teachers who wish to undertake specialist training. The number of practising teachers who might be supported under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme for training to become teachers of the deaf is currently under review.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to reviewing the procedure for the training of teachers of deaf children.
§ Mr. Fallon; The Department has been carefully reviewing the procedures for this and other training in special educational needs. We have now identified a number of technical improvements to the mechanisms for supporting such training, about which we will be writing shortly to the bodies most directly concerned.