§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many additional teacher trainees will be required in Greater London in particular, and the South-East Region generally, to meet the Government's target figure for expansion of the number of teachers during the next three to five years;
(2) how many additional places in teacher training establishments are to be provided in Greater London in particular, and the South-East Region generally, during the next three to five years; and where these additional places are to be provided.
§ Mr. CroslandThe Government's aim over the years immediately ahead is to secure the largest possible increase in the teaching force in the schools by all available means, including both the recruitment of many more new teachers and the attraction back to teaching of larger numbers of former teachers. The teacher training system, which is national in character, will continue to admit larger intakes of students year by year under the various expansion plans now being implemented. It is too early to give any precise estimate of the further increase in intakes that will accrue from the request I have just made to the colleges of education to consider making appropriate arrangements to achieve a greater output of trained teachers through the more productive use of their facilities.