§ 43. Mr. Remnantasked the Minister of Education what evidence she has to explain the causes for the decline in the intake of graduates into the teaching profession; and what steps she proposes to take in order to correct this position.
§ Miss HorsbrughThere has been no such decline in recent years. In each of the last four years, there has been a net increase in the number of graduate teachers employed in grant-aided schools and establishments, with a greater increase in 1951–52 than in the three previous years.
I would also refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Faversham (Mr. P. Wells) on 25th June last.
§ Mr. RemnantWill my right hon. Friend look at the intake into secondary schools? Does she not agree that there is a considerable shortage of graduates, particularly science and mathematics graduates, because the majority of such graduates are going into industry and not to the teaching profession?
§ Miss HorsbrughCertainly, we do want to get more graduates for science and mathematics, and I am glad to say that there has been an increase—not a decrease. I quite agree that the more we can attract these graduates to teaching the better, but I would point out to the hon. Gentleman that in 1950–51 there was a net increase in the number of graduates of 1,400, and, in 1951–52, a net increase of 1,800