§ Mr. Dellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students have been accepted for admission to colleges of education for the academic year 1965–66.
§ Mr. CroslandProvisional returns from the colleges at the very beginning of the autumn term show that about 29,000 non-graduate students have been accepted by the general, housecraft and80W physical education colleges for courses of initial training. This compares with 24,000 last year, 21,000 in the academic year 1963–64 and 17,000 in 1962–63, and is in fact higher than the intake assumed for 1969–70 in the Robbins Committee's projections. Total student numbers have risen from some 48,000 in 1962–63, 54,000 in 1963–64 and 61,500 in 1964–65, to nearly 73,000. The figures show how remarkable has been the colleges' response to the appeal which I made to them in March to take as many as possible of the suitable candidates who applied. I should like to congratulate them on an outstanding achievement.