§ Sir M. Galpernasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the impending strike of teachers in Scotland; and what steps he proposes taking to avert it.
§ Sir J. Henderson-Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the impending strike called by the Management Committee of the Glasgow Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland for the week beginning 8th May over demands for an immediate increase of 20 per cent. in teachers' salaries and the dilution of the teaching profession by the introduction of non-graduate men; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.
§ Mr. MaclayYes, I have seen Press reports to this effect. The current salaries regulations which came into operation on 1st January, 1960, give effect to an agreed recommendation of the National Joint Council to deal with teachers' salaries in Scotland and implement most of the recommendations on salaries made by the Knox Committee. I am informed that the Educational Institute of Scotland sent to the National Joint Council on 27th January last a written statement asking for an immediate salary increase and for a shortening of the scales. Before proposing any alterations in salaries regulations, I must have regard to any recommendations of the Council, which consists of equal numbers of representatives of education authorities and of teachers appointed by the Educational Institute of Scotland. It would be quite wrong for the Council, because of outside pressure, to have to take hurried decisions on the complex and difficult questions that arise on a claim of this kind or for me to prejudge the outcome of their consideration of it.
151WOn the second point I would like to correct any misunderstanding which may have arisen. As a preliminary to a general review of the teachers' Training Regulations, which date from 1931, my Department circulated a memorandum outlining a large number of questions on which it would be necessary to obtain the views of all concerned before any proposals for changes were formulated. One of these questions was whether the traditional qualifications of teachers, including the graduate qualification for men, were still the most appropriate. I am now receiving the views of the various bodies concerned—teachers, education authorities, universities, training authorities and others—which on this, as on the other questions in the memorandum, are by no means unanimous, 152W I shall, of course, give full weight to the teachers' opinions along with the others before deciding what proposals should be made in any new draft regulations to be laid before this House.