§ Mr. James Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which local authorities have not exercised their powers to appoint administrative assistants, laboratory technicians, and house masters; what advice he intends to give them in view of the teacher shortage; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if, in view of the teacher shortage, he will now introduce legislation making it mandatory for local authorities to appoint administrative assistants, laboratory technicians, and house masters in all secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossAt January, 1968 the following authorities had in their employment neither school administrative assistants nor school laboratory technicians or assistants:
Angus, Banffshire, Berwickshire, East Lothian, Kincardine, Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire, Peebleshire and Roxburghshire.
In addition, the following authorities had in their employment no school administrative assistants:
Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Ayrshire, Bute, Caithness, Clackmannanshire, Dumfriesshire, Invernsss-shire, Midlothian, Moray and Nairn, Orkney, Ross and Cromarty, Stirlingshire, Wigtownshire and Zetland.
No similar information is available about the appointment of house masters 284W or house mistresses who are normally teachers.
It is very desirable that authorities should employ adequate ancillary staff in schools, and authorities have already received advice to this effect. There has been a considerable expansion in the numbers of such staff and, subject to the availability of resources, I shall encourage it; but I do not think that a statutory requirement of the kind suggested would be practicable.