HC Deb 18 October 1993 vol 230 cc96-7W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers are to be seconded for training leading to a recognised qualification in visual impairment during the year 1993–94.

Mr. Forth

The Department has completed a survey of local education authorities' use of grant 12—training for special educational needs—of the grants for education support and training programme in 1993–94. The 95 authorities which responded to the survey were supporting a total of 130 teachers on courses leading to qualifications approved by my right hon. Friend for teachers of children who are visually impaired.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the level of earmarked grants made available to support the training of teachers in recognised courses of visual impairment for each year since 1987–88.

Mr. Forth

This information is not available for all of the years requested. In 1991–92 and 1992–93, £1.2 million and £1.3 million respectively was made available to support the training of teachers in recognised courses of visual impairment, under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme. In the GEST programme for 1993–94, special needs training is no longer confined to specific areas and the programme has been extended to cover all areas of special needs training. To accommodate this extension, the amount of eligible expenditure to be supported was increased from £7.2 million in 1992–93 to £10 million in 1993–94.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his Department's estimate of the number of teachers who should be qualified in visual impairment during each academic year to maintain the required level of qualified personnel.

Mr. Forth

Under the Education Acts, ;oval education authorities and schools have responsibility for securing special educational provision for pupils who have special educational needs. It is for the LEAs and schools themselves to decide, taking account of local needs and priorities, exactly what form this provision should take, and what levels of staffing are needed to deliver it.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers who received a recognised qualification to teach visually impaired children in each academic year since 1987–88 attended(a) a full-time course, (b) a part-time course or (c) distance courses.

Mr. Forth

This information is not available centrally.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much grant he estimates is to be allocated in support of visual impairment training towards a recognised qualification in 1993–94.

Mr. Forth

Under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme for 1993–94, local education authorities are free to choose which areas of special needs training to support, according to local needs and priorities. A recent survey by the Department, of LEAs' use of GEST funding for special needs training, received information from 95 LEAs. It is estimated that these 95 LEAs intend to allocate in 1993–94 at least £915,000 in support of courses for training teachers of the visually impaired, including those which lead to a qualification approved by my right hon. Friend for the purposes of the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1993.