Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Eduction whether he was aware that in November, 1909, a representative gathering of teachers of all kinds unanimously pressed for the registration of teachers; whether the ground in taking this action was to encourage the more adequate training of teachers, especially of secondary teachers; whether any notice of this demand had been taken by the Board of Education; and whether it was intended to reintroduce in any form the registration of teachers or to give encouragement to regular training of secondary teachers?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Runciman)I am aware that at a meeting, such as my hon. Friend describes, resolutions in favour of the registration of teachers were passed. I do not understand that there was absolute unanimity as to the form the register should take or as to the constitution of the Teachers' Registration Council. The answer to the third part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the fourth part of the question, the Board have been discussing the question with representatives of various branches of the teaching profession, some important conferences having been held in the Board's offices in the last week or two which seemed to suggest the possibility that agreement on the outstanding points of difficulty may soon be reached. The Board already encourage, by the payment of grants, the training of teachers for secondary schools.
§ Mr. EDGAR JONESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the first register was destroyed by Oxford and Cambridge snobbishness?