No decisions on therapists’ course

Press, 12 August 1982, Page 20

No decisions on therapists’ course

Parliamentary reporter

No firm decisions had been made about the nature, location, and content of a programme to educate and train speech therapists, said the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington).

He was answering a question in Parliament from Mrs Ann Hercus (Lab., Lyttelton), who asked if he intended to extend the speech therapy training in Christchurch to a degree course and, if so, where would it be sited and to what extent would it have a health component.

In 1978, the McKerracher Report, “The Education and Training of Speech Therapists,” had recommended the establishment of a four-year

bachelor degree in speech and language therapy.

That recommendation had been discussed with the interested parties, Mr Wellington said. To date, no firm decisions had been made about such a training programme. Any change from the pattern of speech therapists’ training at Christchurch Teachers’ College within the education service would incorporate elements appropriate for speech therapists in the health service. Until the needs of the education and health services were clearly defined, and the capacity of the teachers’ colleges and, or, the universities to offer such a course were determined, he could not. specify the course’s location.