§ 110. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Education, in view of the desire of the Leyton Committee for Education to supply where necessary blazers as well as caps and badges for boys in certain Leyton schools and the decision of the Essex Education Committee to continue to restrict grants for boys only in respect of caps and badges, whether she will take action to resolve this conflict in the interest of parents who cannot afford to purchase blazers for boys and in order to avoid discrimination between boys and girls in this respect.
§ Miss HorsbrughI understand that the Essex Authority have not yet reached a decision on the representations which have been made to them on this matter by the Leyton Divisional Executive.
§ 111. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Education to what extent it is estimated the supply of teachers to meet the requirements of Essex schools is likely to grow worse during the next five years; and how far economy plans are having an adverse effect on this problem.
§ Miss HorsbrughI aim at increasing the number of teachers employed in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales by between three and four thousand a year, but it will not be possible to improve staffing standards during78W the next few years when the school roll will be increasing rapidly. Measures will continue to be necessary to ensure proper distribution of the available teachers, but I know of no special difficulties which are likely to arise in Essex. Recent economy measures do not affect this problem.