§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment his Department has made of the IT skills of teachers of technology. [40361]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Department conducts every two years a survey of Information Technology (IT) in Schools. It provides information about the level of provision and use of IT in schools, including the skill levels of teachers. The latest survey was conducted in 1996 and the results were published in March 1997. The results of the 1998 survey will be published later this year.
The Teacher Training Agency is about to issue a contract for the development of materials to assess the training needs of all teachers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). These materials will enable all teachers, regardless of the subject or age range of pupils they teach, to assess their training and development needs. The needs assessment will help teachers prepare for the proposed lottery-funded 1CT training programme for serving teachers. Training will ensure that all teachers have the skills necessary to use ICT effectively in the subject they teach.