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Miss Joan Lestor
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has decided the basic qualification requirement in mathematics that will be a condition of acceptance for teacher training in the future.
Mrs. Shirley Williams
I announced in the Green Paper "Education in Schools: A Consultative Document" (Cmnd. 6869) that in addition to the normal minimum entrance requirement for degree courses of two GCE passes at A level I propose that
entrants to BEd courses"from 1979 or 1980"
Before formally announcing the introduction of this requirement by means of a circular, I wished to consult those affected on detailed aspects of its implementation. A draft circular was therefore issued and I am carefully considering the comments upon it.I propose to issue before the Summer Recess a circular announcing that after 1979—namely, in the acadmeic year 1980–81—this requirement will be introduced for entrants to undergraduate teacher training courses. Although formal qualifications do not necessarily guarantee a satisfactory level of numeracy, is it generally accepted that the formal qualifications referred to in the Green Paper would provide a widely available and broadly appropriate measure. The circular will take into account the position of those who will not have had an opportunity to obtain them."should have qualifications at a minimum of O level grade C or CSE grade 1 in English and mathematics or should otherwise satisfy the institution concerned, and its validating body, of numeracy and literacy to the equivalent level".