Mr. Jenningsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education whether he is in a position to make a statement on the suggestions submitted to the conference on staffing, held in October last, that intending teachers who have completed their professional training should be released from National Service; and that deferment from National Service should be granted to intending teachers who satisfactorily complete their professional training and to all who have been accepted for training as teachers.
§ Sir E. BoyleIt has not been found possible to accept the suggestions to which my hon. Friend refers. Only graduate teachers receive their professional training before National Service, and the Armed Services depend very largely on these men for the maintenance of their educational and other specialist services. Also, as was explained to the Conference, to grant deferment to non-graduates who have been accepted for training would not increase the number of teachers available for service in the schools in the near future, and would provide no increase at all without a corresponding increase in the number of training college places.