HC Deb 30 November 1961 vol 650 cc596-7
3. Mr. Boyden

asked the Minister of Education how many students passed the General Certificate of Education A level in Russian during 1960; how many students at technical colleges are currently studying Russian at an advanced level; and how many teachers are now available to teach Russian at the General Certificate of Education O level.

Sir D. Eccles

The answer to the first part of the Question is 120. The two other figures asked for are not available. Returns obtained by the Committee on the Teaching of Russian show that about 300 further education establishments in England and Wales offer courses in Russian and about one in six of these has advanced classes. There are some 270 teachers of Russian in schools and about 330 in further education establishments, though there is some overlap between the two figures.

Mr. Boyden

Is there not a great discrepancy between the number of 120 students taking advanced courses in Russian and that of 6,000 who pass in Latin and Greek? Ought not something to be done to bring the matter into focus? Will the right hon. Gentleman consider setting up an institute of Russian studies, or something of that sort, since we seriously lag behind in the study of this language and subjects associated with it?

Sir D. Eccles

I expect to receive the report of the Committee under Mr. Noel Annan on the teaching of Russian in schools and establishments of higher education during the first three months of next year, and I certainly expect that I will take action on its recommendations.

Mr. Emrys Hughes

Is the right lion. Gentleman aware that when the Prime Minister made his last visit to Moscow he asked the rector of the university there how many students were at the university and that the answer was 10,000, and when he asked how many were learning English he was told that all of them were? Is there not something wrong when we are doing so little to encourage the study of Russian while the Russians are making such advances in the teaching of English?

Sir D. Eccles

I agree that we shall have to do more, but it is much easier for other countries to make the choice of the second language because English presents itself as the obvious choice.