§ 50. Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Education what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to meet the estimated increase of the need for school places by some 2½ million by 1985, by the forward planning of a school building programme and the training of teachers; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChatawayMy Department keeps the long-term supply and demand for teachers under continuous review, taking into account, among other factors, both the latest estimate of future births and also the higher output which will result from the expansion of the training colleges to 80,000 students, as announced in January of this year. Long-term plans to ensure an adequate supply of teachers from the universities and training colleges will need to be related to the major decisions about the scale and pattern of 181W higher education as a whole on which the Government are awaiting the advice of the Robbins Committee. Meanwhile the Government will continue to stimulate recruitment to teaching from other sources, such as older students from industry and commerce, and to encourage married women teachers to return to the schools.
Building programmes will continue to take full account of the additional numbers of school children expected in each locality.