§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Education, in view of the present small proportion of male teachers in the primary schools when the supply of men teachers threatens to be redundant, and the extreme shortage of women teachers willing to join the service, if he will increase the proportion of men teachers in all schools, even if only as a temporary measure, in view of the imminent addition to the primary schools of one million new pupils.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI cannot accept the hon. Member's assumptions in the form in which they are stated, but as I explained in the answer which I gave him on 7th November, the proportion of men employed in teaching children over the age of eight is being continuously increased. I have recently received from local education authorities estimates of the numbers of teachers they expect to employ in September, 1950, and, when these have been examined by my Department in consultation with the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers, I shall issue such further guidance to the authorities as may appear to be necessary.