§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the measures he proposes to assist towards ending the teacher shortage in schools.
§ Mr. William RossThe number of teachers in the schools has increased considerably over the last few years and is expected to continue to do so, but there are shortages in some areas and, in secondary schools, in some subjects. Recruitment to the profession is encouraged by the publicity campaigns undertaken by my Department and by education authorities, and in the Special Recruitment Scheme. The improved salaries for teachers which the Houghton Committee is expected to recommend should provide a new incentive for recruitment. I shall continue to keep under review the question of how inequalities in the distribution of teachers throughout the country might be overcome; and I expect education authorities to do all they can to deploy their teaching staff to best advantage within their area.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from teachers' organisa- 216W tions about class sizes; and what is his estimate of the number of additional primary and secondary teachers required to meet the standard suggested by these organisations.
§ Mr. William RossMy Department has recently received from the Educational Institute of Scotland a request to discuss various minimum conditions of work, including conditions about maximum class sizes, which the institute considers should be established in primary and secondary schools from session 1975–76.
To achieve classes of the maximum sizes claimed might require some 7,000—about 30 per cent.—more primary school teachers and some 11,000—about 45 per cent.—more secondary school teachers than were employed in education authority schools in session 1973–74. In addition, several thousands more teachers would be needed both in primary and in secondary schools to meet other proposals by the institute about teachers' class contact hours.