§ 26. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities impose political tests on teachers seeking promotion.
§ Sir E. BoyleI know of only one. This is the Middlesex Local Education Authority, which requires every candidate for a headship to say whether he is a member of the Communist or Fascist Parties.
§ Dr. KingIs the Minister aware that British citizens are free to hold whatever political opinions they like, and that whilst no teacher should get away with teaching party politics in the school without being punished, it is a deprivation of the rights of Middlesex teachers, as British citizens, to punish them financially by hindering their prospect of promotion merely because they belong to what is a legal political party?
§ Sir E. BoyleI have no evidence, and I have looked into this, that the Middlesex policy has restricted the field of recruitment of eligible individuals. I think my right hon. Friend would only feel justified in intervening in this kind of matter if the education service were being seriously affected.
§ Mr. M. StewartDoes the Minister remember that previous Ministers thought this, and that the right hon. Lady the Member for Moss Side (Dame Florence Horsbrugh), when she was Minister a little while ago, expressed disapproval of this practice? May we take it that he is of the same opinion?
§ Sir E. BoyleThere is certainly no difference and no disagreement with what the right hon. Lady said.
§ 32. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Education approximately how many teachers in 1957 went to teach in other countries through temporary exchange schemes; to what countries they went and for how long; and whether the same number of overseas teachers came in exchange to teach in this country.
§ Sir E. BoyleOne hundred and eighty-eight teachers from England and Wales spent about a year in other countries 556 under planned schemes of interchange last year, and the same number came here. Eighty-nine of these exchanges were with Commonwealth countries, 88 with the U.S.A. and 11 with European countries. I am circulating more detailed figures with the OFFICIAL REPORT. There was also a small number of short-term exchanges with Germany.
§ Mr. SorensenIs the Minister satisfied with this very small number in view of the great advantage in the exchange of teachers in more ways than one? Can he indicate in what way he will encourage the further development of this splendid scheme?
§ Sir E. BoyleI have not any statement to make, but if the hon. Gentleman likes to put any specific proposals to me I will consider them carefully, as I agree about the importance of these schemes.
§ Mr. J. JohnsonIs it not a fact that the difference lies in the wages of our teachers who go to Canada and Australia, where there is a higher cost of living? Is the Minister aware that the Canadians make up the wages of our teachers to the level of their teachers inside that Dominion? Would he use his good offices with the Australians and New Zealanders to work out a scheme like that of the Canadians?
§ Sir E. BoyleI will certainly look into the point made by the hon. Gentleman.
§ The figures are as follows:
| NUMBER OF EXCHANGES FOR ONE YEAR WITH COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | |
| Australia | 21 |
| Canada | 43 |
| Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland | 6 |
| New Zealand | 9 |
| South Africa | 10 |
| 89 | |
| United States of America | 88 |
| NUMBER OF EXCHANGES FOR ONE YEAR WITH EUROPE | ||||
| Teachers coming from | English Teachers going to | |||
| France | … | … | 6 | 6 |
| Germany | … | … | 3 | 2 |
| Austria | … | … | 2 | 2 |
| Spain | … | … | 1 | |
| 11 | 11 |