§ 14. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Education what plans he has for developing technical colleges, colleges of art and colleges of commerce to provide advanced courses attractive to day students and older students intending to teach as suggested in paragraph 75 of the 8th Report of the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers.
§ Mr. ChatawayMany technical colleges and colleges of art and commerce already offer courses in subjects suitable for such students who may decide to become teachers. An increasing number of students attend them. At the request of the National Advisory Council the Report to which the hon. Member refers was sent to the Committee on Higher Education and any further developments will need to be considered in the light of its recommendations.
§ Mr. BoydenCan nothing be done about the 2,000 or 3,000 students—the suitable ones—who failed to get admission to teacher training colleges to enable them to be steered into the vacant places in some of these colleges so that they may go forward with their full course? Cannot the Minister do something more energetic about this?
§ Mr. ChatawayMy right hon. Friend has taken many opportunities to point out the chances that now exist in such colleges, and I believe that there is a growing realisation of the opportunities that are available in them.