- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools history is taught by someone without a history qualification in (a) S1 and (b) S2 and how this compares with (i) two, (ii) four and (iii) eight years ago.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on the time spent teaching history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2 and in comparison with the teaching of other subjects.
Answer
Information is not held centrally on the time spent teaching history in schools or on how schools teach history, including whether history is taught by someone without a history qualification. Curriculum for Excellence provides flexibility on time and content to teach history in the context of the experiences and outcomes and other curriculum guidance.
Developing knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland''s place in it is among the learner entitlements in Curriculum for Excellence and the Social Studies principles and practice guidance makes clear that children and young people''s experiences will be broadened using Scottish, British, European and wider contexts for learning, while maintaining a focus on the historical, social, geographic, economic and political changes that have shaped Scotland.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on ministers to approve only the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programmes that prepare all new teachers with the competencies to teach modern languages in the primary school, given the position of modern languages in the primary curriculum.
Answer
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Officials on behalf of the Scottish ministers approve programmes only on the basis of the council''s recommendations.
The Donaldson Review of teacher education will consider the concerns that have been raised relating to the teaching of modern foreign languages in primary schools.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what role its officials, nominated by ministers to sit on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, have in terms of accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes.
Answer
Scottish Government officials do not sit on the council but are appointed as assessors. They are entitled to attend and speak but have no voting rights. Assessors have no role in accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes. Accreditation is solely a matter for the GTCS.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an expectation on all primary schools to teach modern languages, with lessons being introduced no later than primary six and, if so, for how long this expectation has been in place.
Answer
There is an expectation on all primary schools to teach modern languages, with lessons being introduced no later than primary six. This expectation has been in place since the Scottish Executive responded to the recommendations of the
Citizens of a Multilingual World report in September 2001.
Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes guidance for teachers, published on 2 April 2009, reinforces the expectation that schools will offer a modern language beginning no later than primary 6, and that modern language learning and teaching will be exciting, engaging and relevant, developing cultural awareness as well as communicative competence.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course adequately prepare new teachers to deliver the full primary curriculum.
Answer
The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Officials on behalf of the Scottish ministers approve programmes only on the basis of the council''s recommendations.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course and, if so, how long it has been aware.
Answer
The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Officials on behalf of the Scottish ministers approve programmes only on the basis of the council''s recommendations.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course adequately prepare new teachers to teach modern languages in the primary school.
Answer
The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Officials on behalf of the Scottish Ministers approve programmes only on the basis of the council''s recommendations.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on its officials on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland to support only the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programmes that prepare all new teachers with the competencies to teach modern languages in the primary school, given the position of modern languages in the primary curriculum.
Answer
Officials do not sit on the council but are appointed as assessors who are entitled to attend and speak but have no voting rights. Assessors have no role in accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes. Accreditation is solely a matter for the GTCS.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on ministers to approve only Initial Teacher Education programmes that prepare all new teachers with the competencies to deliver the full primary curriculum.
Answer
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Officials, on behalf of the Scottish ministers, approve programmes only on the basis of the council''s recommendations.
