§ 10. Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to increase productivity in the teaching profession; and what discussions he has had with the relevant teaching unions on this subject.
§ Mr. Edward ShortI have no specific proposals at present. Teachers' productivity cannot be precisely measured. Much of the work of the Department is, however, concerned with a wide range of measures to improve the effectiveness of teaching, and we are in frequent touch with the teachers' unions about these.
There is, however, an urgent need on the part of all concerned, for a more intensive use of the capital resources which have been devoted to education—particularly in the fields of further education and the universities.
§ Mr. BiffenBut since, in the prices and incomes policy, productivity is the centrepoint around which incomes negotiations must revolve, and as payments in the public sector will be regarded as of great significance by those engaged in private wage negotiations, would not the right hon. Gentleman feel that there was a case for his issuing an early statement saying in what directions he thought productivity could be increased and relating it particularly to such things as the use of aids to education, so that he could influence the pattern of wage negotiations throughout the public and private sectors?
§ Mr. ShortThere is great scope for the use of further teaching aids, but 596 clearly the criteria in the White Paper are not applicable to the kind of job which teaching is. Nevertheless, I reiterate that the really urgent need in teaching is to make more use of all the capital resources which have been provided over the last 10 years or so, particularly in the case of the universities.
§ Mr. MarksWhen my right hon. Friend is considering that, would he remember that the period when there was payment by results in education was a disastrous period for education?