§ 21. Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total of new entrants to the teaching profession in the school years of 1969–70, 1970–71; and what are the target totals for 1971–72 and 1972–73.
§ Mrs. ThatcherAccording to returns supplied by local education authorities, 32,754 in 1969–70 and 36,364 in 1970–71. The totals are likely to continue to rise during the period 1971–73.
§ Mr. JonesI thank the right hon. Lady for that reply. Would it not help recruitment if an Act akin to the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act were enacted in the near future? Do not many children and teachers labour under the disadvantage of teaching and being educated in schools which are still deplorably bad for this day and age?
§ Mrs. ThatcherMany schools are still deplorably bad, and I am doing my level best to get a school building programme to make them very much better than those I was left with.