HC Deb 09 July 1970 vol 803 cc826-7
18. Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many qualified teachers and people in Voluntary Service Overseas are at present working under the sponsorship of his Department in the educational service of Commonwealth countries.

Mr. Wood

At the end of last year, there were 4,643 British educational staff serving in Commonwealth countries under the auspices of my Department. The vast majority of them were qualified teachers. At the same date, 775 graduate or qualified volunteers and 205 cadets were serving in educational projects in Commonwealth countries under the British Volunteer Programme.

Dame Joan Vickers

May I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply? Does he not agree that educational aid is one of the best forms of aid? Are there enough people available to take jobs? If not, will he help to see that employers are more sympathetic towards releasing people?

Mr. Wood

I certainly agree with the premise of the question. I will go carefully into the matter to see that needs which must be met are met.

Mr. James Johnson

Reverting to a former Question about Tanzania, will the right hon. Gentleman please pay special attention to the supply of teachers in Tanzania? Zambia is not alone in needing people who know English. We have been phasing out, as the right hon. Gentleman knows. In Tanzania we have very few teachers, and the English language is so important, and they badly need teachers there on the east side.

Mr. Wood

I will certainly look into that.

19. Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much money is being allocated by his Department to help education in the Commonwealth countries; and how it is divided between primary, secondary and university education.

Mr. Wood

The total indentifiable expenditure on aid to education in the Commonwealth in 1968 was about £21.5 million. Beyond this, we made contributions to international bodies concerned with aid to education. The allocation of our aid by country and function is rather complex, and I do not have the precise breakdown my hon. Friend requires. But I am sending her some figures which show in some detail what we are doing.

Dame Joan Vickers

May I thank my right hon. Friend for his reply? Does he consider that it is essential, if at all possible, that individuals should be educated in a unversity of their country of origin before taking post-graduate courses here?

Mr. Wood

I would think this important.