HC Deb 18 July 1973 vol 860 cc466-8
8. Mr. Richard Buchanan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the shortage of schoolteachers in Glasgow and the West of Scotland; what proposals he has for increasing the supply of teachers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Monro

In secondary schools the serious shortages are now largely confined to Lanarkshire and to Roman Catholic schools in Glasgow and Renfrewshire. The supply of teachers should improve rapidly from session 1974–75 onwards.

Mr. Buchanan

I am unhappy about the complacency emanating from the Scottish Office over the shortage of teachers in this area. The Minister will know that there is a parlous shortage of teachers in Glasgow and, projecting ahead to the new region, we see a combination of areas which have experienced a continuing shortage of teachers. Will the hon. Gentleman consider finding a new home for the training of primary teachers, and also consider making Jordan Hill a graduate college for secondary school teachers?

Mr. Monro

There is no complacency about the shortage of teachers. I made that clear in our recent debate on the Estimates and I have done so at any time that I have discussed the matter of teachers, especially in relation to Glasgow and Lanarkshire. But the primary pupil-teacher ratio has fallen in the West of Scotland from 31.0:1 to 28.0: 1 and the secondary from 175:1 to 16.2:1 over the past two years. The situation is improving. But I do not seek to hide the fact that we are short of teachers in these areas.

Mr. Hugh D. Brown

The hon. Gentleman says that there will be an improvement in the year 1974–75, but this is 1973. Will he consider the immediate situation with a view to working as flexibly as possible the scheme for designated schools with additional allowances?

Mr. Monro

That is exactly what I am doing at the moment. I am having discussions with the Scottish Teachers Salaries Committee to see whether we can increase the number of designated posts in the West area.

Mr. Carmichael

In the White Paper the Government talk about restricting the number of primary and secondary schoolteachers going through colleges. Are they content to look for an overall sufficiency throughout Scotland, or will they consider giving additional inducements to teachers in the West of Scotland to improve the imbalance there? Can anything be done to help in the transferred schools, where the shortage is extremely acute?

Mr. Monro

Apart from the issue that I am looking at now, of what posts are available for transfer, the designated scheme is due for review next year. As for limiting the entrance of teachers to colleges of education, the immediate problem in 1973 is that we are dealing with teachers who are leaving colleges of education this term and not with those who are entering. As the hon. Gentleman knows from the debate on the Estimates, by 1976–77 we shall have an adequate teaching force for the whole of Scotland.