§ 33. Mr. James Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he estimates there will be the necessary teachers required for secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BuchanThe projection of recent trends in recruitment and wastage would indicate a shortage of some 6,400 qualified secondary teachers in 1973–74 and a surplus of over 7,000 primary teachers. My right hon. Friend is consulting the General Teaching Council about measures to correct this potential imbalance. The prospects of overcoming the secondary shortage depends in part on the outcome of these consultations.
§ Mr. HamiltonRealising, of course, the economic difficulties in which the Government find themselves, may I ask my hon. Friend if he can assure me that once we get out of the economic difficulties he will give very serious consideration to an increase of the salaries of secondary 434 teachers with particular emphasis on teachers of technical subjects?
§ Mr. BuchanI cannot, of course, predict what will happen over another three-year period. The present salary negotiations have just recently been completed. It is, of course, correct to say that the quality of recruited staff is one matter which has very high priority.
§ Miss HerbisonWhat consideration has the Secretary of State given to the great wastage of talent which takes place between 15 and 18 years of age? Has he given any consideration to it? Would it not be very much better to have better grants for people of that age, so that we could have a greater pool of educated manpower on which to draw?
§ Mr. BuchanYes, my right hon. Friend has established a committee to investigate the whole problem of high school bursaries and this is the kind of point very much in its mind.