HC Deb 26 May 1966 vol 729 cc704-5
20. Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to assist every local education authority to make provision for at least one pilot scheme for programmed learning, educational television, and language laboratories in its own area.

Mr. Crosland

Almost all local education authorities are already using teaching aids of these kinds. I am anxious to encourage these developments through the Educational Foundation for Visual Aids and by other means, although it must be left to each authority to decide what particular lines it wishes to follow.

Mr. Carter-Jones

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. But is it not true to say that for the expenditure of a small sum of money he could get the pool of knowledge on the use of this method much more widely scattered throughout every authority with a little more push by his Department?

Mr. Crosland

We have no means by which we can directly financially assist local authorities to use these aids, but in spreading knowledge of them a lot of work is being done by the Educational Foundation for Visual Aids. The Department has put out a number of research projects to study these things and Her Majesty's Inspectors are both encouraging and watching developments in each local authority area.

Sir C. Osborne

If a pool of knowledge is widely scattered, does it not cease to be a pool?