Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there are enough teachers qualified to teach deaf and partially-deaf children.

The department is firmly committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with a hearing impairment, receive the support needed to succeed in their education.

It is a legal requirement for qualified teachers of classes of pupils with sensory impairments to hold the relevant Mandatory Qualification for Sensory Impairment (MQSI). To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by the department.

We have developed a new approval process to determine providers of MQSIs from the start of the 2023/24 academic year. Our aim is to ensure a steady supply of teachers of children with visual, hearing and multi-sensory impairments, in both specialist and mainstream settings.