Teacher Training Colleges

HC Deb 07 December 1961 vol 650 cc1511-2

13. Mr. Boyden

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the number of Colonies with no teaching training colleges within their boundaries; if he will list them; and what arrangements are made for the training of teachers for these areas.

Mr. H. Fraser

The following areas have no teacher training colleges: Bermuda, the Windward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, New Hebrides and St. Helena.

If I may, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details—which are lengthy—of the steps taken by these largely island territories to deal with their individual teacher training problem.

Mr. Boyden

While not necessarily denigrating the efforts of the Government in building up compulsory education, may I ask the hon. Gentleman what steps are being taken about increasing the supply of teachers in the thirty-one Territories in which there is no compulsory education?

Mr. Fraser

I should be very pleased to send the hon. Gentleman a long list of the steps being taken and I should be very happy to send him detailed estimates of the type of scheme we are putting forward now.

Following are the details: The following arrangements are made for the training of teachers for these areas: Bermuda Scholarships are provided by the Government of Bermuda to enable prospective teachers to take training in Britain and Canada. Leeward and Windward Islands Places are reserved at the Teacher Training College in Antigua for teachers from Montserrat. St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, the Virgin Islands and Dominica. Places are reserved at Erdiston Training College, Barbados, for teachers from Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Short courses are also organised by Education Officers in each island with the assistance of the Department of Education of the University College of the West Indies. Falkland Islands The majority of teachers are expatriates. Locally recruited teachers are given teacher training in the Government School in Stanley. Gibraltar Teachers are sent to Britain for training. New Hebrides Up to the present teachers have been trained at the teacher training college in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. A teacher training college has been built and is due to open in 1962. St. Helena In-service training is given and a teacher-training centre was established in 1959 with a C.D. and W. grant. A full-time tutor was appointed in 1961.