§ Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy for increasing the supply of teachers and improving staffing standards in the schools; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PrenticeI am considering my policy in this field as in others but my 277W initial view is that, having regard to the continuing annual fall in the number of births, it is unnecessary to plan for more than about 510,000 teachers in the next seven or eight years I shall keep this figure under review in the light of the economic situation and of trends in the birth rate and the projected pupil population.
I attach importance to the development of other courses in colleges of education to accompany the reduction in the number of teacher training places. I confirm that the 1974 intake of non-graduate students to the colleges of education should be about 32,000. I shall be seeking the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Training of Teachers about the revised intake which will be needed in 1975.