Teacher Training

HC Deb 28 January 1977 vol 924 cc795-7W

Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends taking to comply with the requirements of the Employment Protection Act in order to provide trade union representatives with financial and other infor-

prison in the Yorkshire and Humberside and North-West Regions, together with the latest figure of actual staff in post at each prison.

Mr. John

The information is as follows:

mation, before coming to a decision about the future of Scottish colleges of education.

Mr. McElhone

My right hon. Friend is confident that the governing bodies of the colleges of education, which are the employers of the staff, will comply with their statutory obligations.

Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost per student of training a teacher in the B.Ed. course in secondary education compared with the cost of a three-year course at university followed by a one-year post-graduate course in teacher training at a college of education.

Mr. McElhone

This information is not immediately available and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the unique rôle of the University of Stirling as a teacher-training establishment was considered, before the drafting of the recent SED document on the future of teacher-training in Scotland.

Mr. McElhone

Yes.

Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what would be the estimated cost of replacing the present three-year teachers' diploma course at colleges of education by four-year B.Ed. degree course.

Mr. McElhone

Taking into account the extra year of student allowances and the additional college expenditure involved, the cost of training a primary teacher, about £7,500 at current prices, could increase by nearly one-third.

Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the uncertainty about the future of certain Scottish colleges of education, he will issue instructions for individual student applications for 1977–78 to be handled by some national clearance system, rather than have students apply for particular colleges.

Mr. McElhone

The selection of students for admission to teacher-training courses is a matter for the colleges of education; and it will be for them jointly to consider the most suitable method of dealing with applications for entry in 1977–78 after my right hon. Friend has announced his decisions about college intakes for that year and the future of individual colleges.