§ 2.42 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands on the Order Paper in my name.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask whether it is a fact that, as stated at the recent Communist 1262 Congress in Liverpool, we employ 2,000 "very active" Communist teachers; and, if so, what action the Government propose to take.]
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, the political views of teachers are their own private affair, so long as the teachers do not infringe the long-established and well-understood rule that they should not use their position to propagate those views in the course of instruction. Any case where there was evidence of a breach of this rule would be investigated at once.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I am naturally disappointed by the answer I have received. It passes far too lightly over what is really a considerable national danger. I will therefore raise the whole matter again when I have more elbow room than is permitted within the scope of a Starred Question.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, before the Question is closed I would like to ask what steps are taken to watch these teachers. How can it be learned what they are doing? Who is there to do it, and how is it done?
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, the Question asked and the reply given were on the basis of whether the teachers in these schools propagate their political views in the course of their instruction. Their views and the way they express them outside their vocational duties are not the immediate concern of His Majesty's Government arising out of this Question and the answer to it.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I quite understood that, but the noble Lord in his reply said that they were watched during the exercise of their duties, and that the proceedings came under some sort of supervision. I wanted to know how that supervision was exercised. I was not referring to the Question, but to the answer given by the noble Lord.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHIf the noble Viscount will read the reply that I gave, he will find that I did not use the word "watched" in any context. The Ministry of Education have their own methods of checking up on the activities of teachers when they are engaged in their profession of teaching. What they do outside is no concern of the Ministry.
§ LORD CROOKMy Lords, would the noble Lord inform the House whether it is not true that the Question is based upon statements made at the Communist Congress which are by no means necessarily accurate. Further, would the noble Lord indicate whether or not the Government have the slightest indication that there is any truth in the statement that so many of these teachers are "very active" Communist teachers?
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, in recent times we have had only one case where there could be the slightest suspicion that the rule I mentioned in my original answer had been unheeded and that case is being thoroughly investigated at the present time. In substance, what my noble friend has said is perfectly correct.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, as a matter of curiosity, would not the noble Lord be somewhat optimistic in supposing that I could be turned on to teaching anybody anything without betraying the fact that I have not been always entirely favourable to the German cause?