HC Deb 08 February 1968 vol 758 c643
28. Mr. Longden

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many potential teachers were being trained in colleges of education at the nearest convenient date; and how many, in each year since 1962 for which figures are available, were eliminated as unsuitable during the three-year course.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

An estimated 95,400 students are, at present, enrolled in initial training courses in colleges of education, about 89,000 of them in three-year courses. Of the students admitted to three-year courses in 1962 and 1963, 1,430 and 2,230 respectively withdrew during the course or failed in the final examination. The corresponding figure in respect of students admitted to three-year courses in 1964 is not yet available.

Mr. Longden

Does the hon. Lady know at what stage during the three years most of these people fell out?

Mrs. Williams

Approximately one-third of them fell out after examination failures and the remaining two-thirds fell out earlier in the course. But some at least of the examination failures were retrieved by success after an extra year.