§ 1. Sir G. Foxasked the Minister of Education what provision has been made to ensure that students at training colleges have the maximum amount of privacy in college life to enable them to live as civilians and not under Service conditions by giving adequate provision for quiet and private study; and why the figure of 200 students is aimed at, regardless of the amount of accommodation.
§ Miss WilkinsonI assume that the hon. Member is referring to colleges provided under the Emergency Scheme for the Training of Teachers. Wherever possible these colleges are planned so as to provide separate study bedrooms for single students, or pairs of students, but as existing buildings have to be used it would not be possible to make this provision in every case without a great expenditure of labour and material. Where students sleep in large dormitories, special rooms are set apart for private study. Some colleges take more than 200 students, some fewer, according to the accommodation.
§ Mr. Haydn Daviesasked the Minister of Education whether she is aware that in certain emergency training colleges, courses will end during a school term and that the grant payable does not cover the interval between the end of the course and the entering upon employment which would normally commence at the beginning of the school term; and whether the situation will be met by a further grant to cover any waiting period.
§ Miss WilkinsonGrants under the Emergency Teacher Training Scheme, as under all Government training schemes, are necessarily planned to cover only the period of the course of training. I am212W discussing with local education authorities proposals which will, I hope, ensure that teachers trained under this scheme shall not have long to wait before securing teaching posts.