HC Deb 07 December 1967 vol 755 cc1642-3
6. Mr. Willey

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to make greater provision for the training of technical teachers in the Northern Region.

Mr. Gordon Walker

The College of Education (Technical) at Huddersfield has extended its extramural part-time course at Durham for technical teachers to a total of 70 students compared with 30 last year. There are an additional 52 students from the Northern Region at the Huddersfield College. Plans for a similar course at Carlisle run by the Bolton College of Education (Technical) are also under consideration.

Mr. Willey

I recognise the improvement, but will my right hon. Friend consider the recommendation made by the Regional Economic Council—that what the region needs is a new college especially for this purpose?

Mr. Gordon Walker

The trouble about these colleges of education (technical) is that they are extremely specialised. There are four in the country and to create another may just spread rather more thinly the great skills which they need. I am glad to say that the extramural college at Durham is expanding very fast and doing very well.

Dame Irene Ward

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept, and if so is he to operate, the recommendations of the Northern Economic Planning Council? The whole of the North wants to know whether when it makes a recommendation it is acceptable to the Government?

Mr. Gordon Walker

I am still rather dubious about whether a new college of education (technical) should be established. I do not think that it would help in this case. As I have said, the colleges are very highly specialised. This problem is very different from that of the general colleges of education which of course we can and do spread about the country.