HC Deb 08 June 1967 vol 747 cc1263-5
11. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he now has to encourage more graduates to enter the teaching profession, particularly in view of the rapid growth and development of comprehensive education.

The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. Goronwy Roberts)

The Department will continue to publish booklets and advertisements giving information about careers in education. These are now often supplemented by local efforts to provide other opportunities for university students to discover more about teaching. We are considering a number of suggestions for extending these opportunities.

Mrs. Short

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but is he aware that the number of university science places that were not filled last year—1,600, I understand—is a matter of great concern when comprehensive schools are so short of good science and mathematics teachers? Does he not think it a good idea to enlist the help of the vice-chancellors of the universities to carry out more active propaganda for the teaching profession among their students and to persuade the students to train as teachers, rather than that the vice-chancellors should write letters to the Press putting forward solutions that are not acceptable either to us or to good teachers?

Mr. Roberts

That is an excellent suggestion, and it is fully supported by my right hon. Friend and myself. There is a very good booklet specially prepared by my Department for university students and graduates describing the teacher's work, training courses, salaries and career prospects. It has had a very wide circulation in universities and colleges.

Mr. Crawshaw

Is my hon. Friend aware that it is not lack of information about the teaching profession that is responsible but the fact that too many people are aware of the inadequate salaries paid to teachers these days? The position will not be rectified until a more realistic salary structure is implemented.

Mr. Roberts

That is another question.

32. Mr. Hornby

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the proportion of mathematics and science graduates who took up teaching posts in maintained schools in each year from 1960 to 1966, inclusive.

Mr. Crosland

Since the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Hornby

Would the right hon. Gentleman agree that there is a good deal of concern about the number of mathematics and science teachers coming forward? Will he confirm that he will bear in mind the importance of avoiding any dilution of sixth-form studies in these subjects which may have a considerable bearing on the number of prospective teachers in the future?

Mr. Crosland

I agree that there is concern, which I strongly share. It is an intractable problem, as everybody knows, but one to which no one has found an easy or simple answer.

The size of sixth forms is a matter to which we must pay the greatest possible attention. Whether our efforts in this direction are invariably helped by correspondence in The Times is a different matter, but I am fully conscious of the need for preserving and increasing the standards of sixth-form teaching.

Separate figures for maintained schools are not available
FIRST EMPLOYMENT OF FIRST DEGREE GRADUATES IN SCIENCE (INCLUDING MATHEMATICS)*
Proportion entering 1960† 1961† 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966
(a) Teacher Training … 10.1 9.9 16.6 17.3 17.1 14.5 14.1
(b) Schools … 5.7 5.0 7.7 7.0 5.6 4.4 3.6
*Taken from Annex B of Interim Report of the Working Group on Manpower Parameters for Scientific growth (Cmd. 3102), except for 1966.
† These figures include Engineering and Technology graduates.