HC Deb 23 January 1947 vol 432 cc82-3W
101. Mr. Amory

asked the Minister of Education whether, in the case of men and women awaiting training under the Emergency Training Scheme who are employed as temporary teachers, she will abolish the condition that maintenance allowances can only be made when candidates enter a training college within three months of leaving the Services, as in most cases the period of waiting is much longer.

Miss Wilkinson

Temporary teachers, including men and women awaiting training under the Emergency Scheme, are paid salaries in accordance with the Burnham scales and the question of maintenance allowances does not arise.

106. Mrs. Paton

asked the Minister of Education how many students passed by the Interviewing Board for the Emergency Teachers' Training Course have been rejected after two to three months' training; what is the percentage of the total number of students accepted; and what are the reasons for the rejections.

Miss Wilkinson

Up to 18th January, 1947, 26 students had been required to withdraw from emergency training courses. This is approximately one third of 1 per cent. of the number of students so far admitted to emergency training colleges. Seven of these 26 were required to withdraw on grounds of health, and the remainder because they were unsuitable in some way or other for the teaching profession. In addition 95 students or just over r per cent have so far withdrawn voluntarily during courses; 19 for health reasons and 76 for other reasons. It is not possible to state what proportion of these voluntary or compulsory withdrawals took place within the first three months of the course.

107. Mrs. Paton

asked the Minister of Education if, in order to allay the anxiety among students in the Emergency Teachers' Training Colleges, she will give an assurance that there is no future danger of teachers being declared temporarily redundant through the outflow of new teachers outstripping the provision of new schools.

Miss Wilkinson

There is no such danger at present. For the future, it will be my endeavour to ensure that plans for increasing the establishment of teachers and for extending school accommodation are properly related to each other.

Sir E. Graham-Little

asked the Minister of Education haw many persons classified as temporary teachers who had no training and how many persons classified as emergency teachers having had one year's training are now teaching in the national schools.

Miss Wilkinson

On 3rst March, 1946, 1,035 untrained "temporary teachers" were being employed by local education authorities under Schedule I.1 of the Primary and Secondary Schools (Grant Conditions) Regulations, 1945. No more recent figures are yet available. A little over 1,000 teachers have become available for employment in the schools after completing one year "emergency" courses of training.