§ Mr. Emeryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the total number of students entering teacher training colleges in England and Wales during the last three academic years, the number of students who completed their course and the number who did not continue in training after their first year at college.
§ Mrs. Shirley Williams:Non-graduate entrants to courses of initial teacher training numbered 29,058 in the calendar year 1965 and 33,378 in 1966; the provisional figure for 1967 (including entrants to the five new departments of education in technical colleges) is 36,500. The great majority of these students are following three-year courses and have therefore not yet completed their training, hut of the students who entered college in 1961, 1962 and 1963 about 90 per cent. completed their courses successfully. About 4 per cent. of entrants do not continue in training beyond the first year of the course.