Teachers

HC Deb 18 October 1945 vol 414 cc1521-3W

Mr. Usborne

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware that though urgently required teachers are being released under Class B, qualified teachers who, as conscientious objectors, were, during the war, directed to agriculture, are not being allowed to return to their profession; and if, as this discrimination is unfair to the children, who are deprived of the teaching, as it is to the teacher, who is thus prevented from teaching, she will end this policy of discrimination.

Miss Wilkinson

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service explained to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Major Beamish) on 16th October, he is examining the possibility of a release scheme for conscientious objectors who are registered on conditions, based on the principles of age and length of time conditionally registered. I would ask the hon. and gallant Member to await the further statement promised by my right hon. Friend.

Lieut.-Colonel Lindsay

asked the Minister of Education whether her Ministry stipulated that teachers working under a L.E.A. or a grant-aided school cannot apply for posts as teachers in Iraq in reply to the advertisement, a copy of which has been sent to her.

Miss Wilkinson

I am informed that this stipulation was included in the advertisement after consultations between the Royal Iraqi Legation and the British Council. Owing to the present shortage of teachers in this country, which I hope is temporary, the Ministry must try to limit the recruitment of teachers from grant-aided schools for service overseas, and we have made our views in the matter known to the British Council and to other bodies concerned.

Sir J. Graham Kerr

asked the Minister of Education what financial inducements are contemplated to encourage aspirants to the teaching profession to take a university degree.

Miss Wilkinson

The salaries recommended for graduate as well as for other teachers in primary and secondary schools are set out in the report of the Burnham Committee which, as I informed the hon. Member for London University (Sir E. Graham-Little) last week, I have recently approved. The report is now being printed and copies will shortly be available.

Major Legge-Bourke

asked the Minister of Education whether she is prepared to raise the pay of supplementary teachers of over 20 years' standing to the level of that of new teachers who have had the benefit of training which was never available to such supplementary teachers; and will she be prepared to consider individual increases for service longer than 20 years by supplementary teachers.

Miss Wilkinson

No, Sir. Although I appreciate their devoted service, obviously I could not approve in the case of supplementary teachers the scales of pay applicable to qualified teachers. As regards the possibility of improving the pay of supplementary teachers, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 23rd August last, a copy of which I am sending him.

Lieut.-Colonel Hare

asked the Minister of Education what proportion of teachers have been released under Group B for service in elementary schools compared with secondary schools.

Miss Wilkinson

This information is not available, and I hesitate to add to the burdens on local education authorities and governing bodies of schools by calling for it specially.

Mr. Skinnard

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the support given by numerous professional bodies to the proposals for establishing university schools of education recommended in the McNair Report on the Training of Teachers, if she has any pronouncement to make with reference to those proposals or when she will be able to indicate the policy of the Ministry with regard to this matter.

Miss Wilkinson

I am examining carefully the recommendations of the McNair Committee's Report on the Training of Teachers, and, in particular, the proposals made for establishing university schools of education upon which the views of the universities have been sought. The issues involved are of first importance, but I hope, if my hon. Friend will allow me a little more time, that I shall be able to make a statement on the matter in the near future.