§ 31. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Education how many men and women have been admitted to training colleges for next term; how many applicants have been refused places; and how many of those refused admission are above the minimum qualification of five subjects in the General Certificate of Education.
§ 34. Mr. Sydney Irvingasked the Minister of Education how many otherwise satisfactory candidates for entry to training colleges are likely to be rejected this year because of shortage of accommodation.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydFifteen thousand students had been promised places on 1st April and the eventual number will be even higher. I shall be in a better position to answer the other parts of these Questions later in the year, and I will then write to the hon. Members.
§ Dr. KingIs the Minister aware that, while we could congratulate the training colleges on what they are doing to cram in students this year, it is now established that both this year and last year at least 1384 1,000 over-average candidates were rejected by the training colleges; and, as this is a waste of potential which the Minister wants so badly, what will he do about it?
§ Mr. LloydThe figure I have given is already 1,000 higher than the corresponding figure last year, and we are expanding the colleges considerably.
§ Mr. StewartWill the right hon. Gentleman agree that what matters is not only the number of those who get into the training colleges, which we agree is increasing, but the number of those who would have made competent teachers who are shut out of them year after year? Is there anything more he can do about that? Can he see any way of making a further increase in the size of the training colleges in time for this autumn? We lost 2,000 or 3,000 possible good teachers last year and we do not want to do that again.
§ Mr. LloydAs one hon. Gentleman said, the colleges are doing a great deal to make the maximum use of their present facilities.