§ 46. Captain SPENCERasked the Minister of Labour what powers he exercises over the staffing of junior instruction centres; and what, if any, ratio is required between instructors and pupils?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. R. S. Hudson)As the reply is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The selection of staff for junior instruction centres is a matter for the local education authority conducting the centre.
§ In accordance with the recommendations of the National Advisory Councils for Juvenile Employment for England and Wales and for Scotland, the regulations governing the approval for grant-earning purposes of expenditure on the salaries of teachers provide that the normal proportion of staff at centres shall be one teacher to 25 pupils at centres where boys and girls attend for more than 15 hours a week, but if the Minister is satisfied that more than one-third of the instruction is in practical work he may authorise the employment of one teacher for 20 pupils. At centres where boys and girls attend for only 15 hours a week, one teacher shall be employed for double the above numbers. If the numbers in attendance fall below the specified figures, the authority shall reduce staff accordingly, and payment of salary in excess of the staff ratio shall not be recognised as approved expenditure. In the case of small centres, however, disallowance under the staff ratio condition is not normally imposed if, in the case of a 15-hour centre which meets both morning and afternoon the numbers in attendance fall below 80, or, in the case of centres providing more than 15 hours instruction a week, below 40, provided always that only two teachers, or their equivalent in teaching hours, are employed at the centre.