Seòmar agus comataidhean

The recent HM Chief Inspectorof Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Education reports are addressed to the Home Office.Home Office ministers are discussing with the Scottish Executive how the recommendationscan be taken forward.

We have recently issued in theautumn of last year to all teachers and schools, guidance on the Professional Reviewand Development process. This document, that was prepared in collaboration withlocal authorities and other key stakeholders, describes the types of professionaldevelopment opportunities that teachers should expect to be exposed to throughouttheir career. It provides an exemplar framework in which to place such opportunitieswhich schools and teachers should consider and which reflects on what developmentactivities are appropriate at different stages in a teacher’s career. The ProfessionalReview and Development document is one of the elements that come together to makethe National Framework for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers.In addition to the guidance prepared with our partners, the Executive has distributed£13.45 million in 2002-03 and £14 million in 2003-04 for CPD to local authorities.

Such matters would be considered,as appropriate, within the context of our discussions with the Home Office aboutthe recommendations in the recent reports by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and HMInspectorate of Education.

Scottish Executive ministers have raised with Home Office ministers theimportance of engaging Scotland’s school inspectors in the inspection ofeducation provision and standards at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre,and are in discussion with Home Office ministers on how the recommendations inthe recent HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Educationreports can be taken forward.

I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2655 today, which is available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The information requested isgiven on pages 75 to 98 of Scottish Refugee Integration Forum, Draft SupportingDocument published by Astron in 2002, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 24663).

This information is not heldcentrally. Prescription data collected centrally are not patient-specific and donot record the condition for which the medicine has been prescribed.

Good progress has been madeon making provision for the accreditation of prior learning (APL) as part of the Chartered Teacher programme. The Scottish Executive recently sent to allregistered teachers a leaflet describing the Chartered Teacher programme andthe accreditation of prior learning (APL). All teachers taking a CharteredTeacher programme are required to complete module 1 of the programme. Onsuccessful completion of module 1, the teacher can choose between one of twoAPL routes.

• The first route will be handled by providers as part of their programme designed to meet the standard for Chartered Teacher and will allow a teacher to claim up to a maximum of 50% of the Standard by APL.
• The second route will be handled by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and will allow teachers to make a 100% claim against the standard by APL.

Alternatively the teachercan choose to complete the whole programme.

None. There is no requirementfor a particular grade of teacher to be the nominated supporter for student teachersor probationer teachers. Support can be given by all levels of experienced teachingstaff.

We have recently published, andare in the process of issuing to all teachers, a document Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment for Educational Leaders which forms part of the National Frameworkfor Continuing Professional Development. The document was prepared in collaborationwith teachers, local authorities, academics and other stakeholders. The purposeof the document is to provide teachers, schools and local authorities with a frameworkto assist the development of leadership and management skills in the teaching workforce.It will be for the teachers and their line managers to ensure that they have accessto appropriate continuing professional development opportunities at the most appropriatestage of their career that allows them to expand their skills and knowledge includingquality assurance.