§ 4. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Education if he proposes in 1963–64 to restore the number of supplementary courses for teachers to the level obtaining in 1961–62.
§ Sir E. BoyleI cannot accept the validity of this comparison without taking into account the introduction of the three-year course. Now that initial training itself takes three years, the supplementary courses are almost entirely for two year trained teachers seconded after a period of service. In 1961–62 some 900 serving teachers attended in this way and just under 700 this year. In 1963–64 these figures should rise to about 1,100, though nearly 1,500 places will be available in 100 separate courses.
§ Mr. BoydenIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that what he is doing 1388 about improving training is irrelevant to the reservoir of two-year trained teachers? Surely the system requires more and better trained teachers so that the right hon. Gentleman ought not to relax his efforts to get more teachers through these courses.
§ Sir E. BoyleI am not relaxing my efforts. Although the figures for 1962–63 are a little disappointing, they rose substantially, from 700 to 1,100, for 1963–64.