43. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the discouragement caused to those now training for the teaching profession by the serious unemployment among recently trained teachers, he will communicate with local education authorities responsible for schools containing classes of over 40 children with a view to their increasing the number of classes and reducing their size?
Mr. LindsayThe facts do not justify the discouragement alleged by the hon. Member, and in any case my Noble Friend does not see his way to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion. Such a course of action would be inadvisable at the present time, when the resources of the local education authorities are already being severely taxed to meet the requirements of reorganisation and the raising of the school-leaving age in 1939.
Mr. HarveyIs not the Board aware that many teachers trained two or more years ago have not yet obtained work, and that more than a quarter of those turned out of college during the last year have not received posts in public elementary schools; and does that not produce great depression in the teaching profession?
Mr. LindsayThe answer to the first part of the question is that the position has got steadily better in the last two years. In regard to the second part, I cannot give full particulars, but I would remind the hon. Member, that on 4th January, as I promised him before, there will be more exact figures. In regard to the third part, quite a different question is raised by the limitation of the size of classes, affecting not only the number of teachers but the space available in the schools.