§ Sir G. Sinclairasked the Minister of Overseas Development, in view of the shortage of teachers in the United Kingdom and the need for teachers in the developing countries, what further steps she will take to encourage recruitment for overseas service, to keep in touch with teachers while they are overseas to ensure that, when they return, their new experience is put to use within the home educational system.
§ Mr. OramThe need of the developing countries for teachers is so urgent, and yet the overall number required is so small in relation to the total teaching strength in this country, that, by agreement with my right hon. Friend the 187W Secretary of State for Education and Science, I am seeking by all media of publicity to increase recruitment for teaching overseas despite our own shortages. My Ministry has recently assumed responsibility for the National Council for the Supply of Teachers Overseas on which the local education authorities as well as the recruiting agencies are represented. The Council's new film about the life of a teacher overseas "And gladly would he learn" is now being widely shown throughout the country. The first edition of the Council's new bulletin "Overseas Challenge" has just been circulated through local education authorities to schools throughout the United Kingdom. I shall continue to confer with the Council on other methods of bringing to the notice of British teachers the challenge of serving for brief periods on contract with the Governments of developing countries.
Local education authorities have agreed to second their teachers for service overseas whenever possible, thus maintaining contact with them and guaranteeing them posts or, their return to this country. Links between local education authorities in Britain and education authorities overseas, such as the links which the Inner London Education Authority have recently established with Northern Nigeria and the Sudan, are particularly valuable and my Ministry gives them support. Teachers going overseas under the auspices of my Ministry are asked to let us know, shortly before their contracts come to an end, whether they desire a further period of service overseas or whether they are returning to teach in Britain. Any teacher who has been short-listed for a promotion post in Britain can attend for interview by availing himself of an Interview Fund which pays for all travel costs, less £20.
I like to think that teaching in this country is being enriched by the return of several teachers annually from short spells of service in various developing countries overseas.