HC Deb 20 June 1968 vol 766 cc1298-9
32. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to assist local education authorities to set up more day and evening training courses to train enough nursery teachers to meet the rising demand as a result of the implementation of the Education Act, 1944.

Miss Bacon

Twenty-five colleges of education now advertise courses of training for teachers specialising in the age ranges covering both the nursery and infant age groups, and the numbers of students have risen from 941 in 1964–65 to 1,209 in 1966–67. The present shortage of infant teachers makes it necessary for the colleges to concentrate their main efforts on the compulsory stages of education; but where colleges are able and staffed to offer courses which cover the nursery stages as well we are happy to authorise this.

Mrs. Short

I am obliged to my right hon. Friend for that reply. However, will she endeavour to give more encouragement to local education authorities to start more of these training courses, especially for nursery teachers, in view of the rising demand all over the country for the implementation of the 1944 Act relating to nursery education, which was underlined by the Plowden Report? I am sure that my right hon. Friend will have support from the whole House if she does this.

Miss Bacon

I think that my hon. Friend is a little confused between nursery teachers and nursery assistants.

Mrs. Short

No.

Miss Bacon

The Plowden Report particularly asked for training of nursery assistants.

Mrs. Short

rose—

Miss Bacon

I fully understand my hon. Friend's question. There are the two points: nursery teachers and nursery assistants. It would be wrong at this time to have a great many nursery assistants trained unless we could offer them places in nursery school classes.