Colleges of Education (Hansard, 6 August 1980)

§ Mr. George Younger

There has been substantial contraction of the college of education system since 1977. The number of student places has been reduced from 14,450 to 11,150 and the number of academic staff from 1,330 to 1,050 at the beginning of the current financial year. Nevertheless, there is still substantial surplus capacity in the system and the need for student teachers continues to decline. In these circumstances I have thought it right to conduct a further review of the system. I am publishing my conclusions today in a detailed paper, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

I should emphasise that, in arriving at these conclusions, I have considered not only demographic factors, but also a number of important educational developments which I hope will take place in the years to come. These include my intention that entry to the primary teaching profession should in due course be on an all-graduate basis. Further consultation will be needed about the best way of achieving this, and I am publishing 88W separately today a consultative paper on this specific subject; copies of this have also been placed in the Library. The pace at which we can move forward will depend upon the outcome of these consultations and the availability of resources, but I hope that it may be possible to make significant progress in the next five years or so.

In a time of declining need for numbers of teachers, I believe that we should be putting increasing emphasis on the quality of the teaching force; and I propose, therefore; in due course to examine ways of raising the standards of pre-service training. Similarly, I hope to initiate discussions about further development of in-service training, which is assuming increasing importance. I am anxious also that existing links among colleges of education should be strengthened and that new links should be forged between the colleges and other institutions, including the universities.

On current forecasts, the total number of students, which now stands at about 8,000 will continue to fall to less than 7,000 by 1983 before gradually rising again. Despite the reduction in the capacity of the colleges since 1977, over 3,000 student places remain surplus to requirements. If the present capacity were retained, there would be substantially larger surpluses over the next six or seven years and still about 2,500 unused places at the end of the decade. It is clear that, even when full account is taken of the desirable educational developments to which I have referred, the college of education system is still considerably larger than will be needed for the foreseeable future. In deciding how the system should be contracted, I have attached great importance to the preservation of a regional distribution of colleges which will enable local contacts to be maintained. In particular, I have had regard to two features, the concentration of colleges in the central belt of Scotland and a surplus of student places predominantly in the east. I have decided that it is no longer justifiable—on economic or on educational grounds—to retain as many as 10 separate colleges; and after full consideration of all the circumstances, I have concluded that the overall size of the system should be reduced to some 8,000 student places, although it will be necessary to keep this figure under review.

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In summary, my decisions on individual colleges of education are as follows. I have concluded that Hamilton and Callendar Park should be closed; and that it would be desirable for Craiglockhart to cease to operate as a separate entity, but to be merged—preserving a distinct Roman Catholic unit—within another institution in the east of Scotland. I shall be seeking further reductions in capacity at some of the remaining colleges, in particular Dundee. Dunfermline will be retained in its present form, although its position will be kept under review. There will be full consultations with colleges and other affected interests about the timing of these measures and the means of putting them into effect.

The reduction in overall capacity will lead to significant savings in public expenditure, although it is not possible to quantify these in advance of the detailed discussions to which I have just referred. There will be a substantial reduction in the running costs of the system; and the disposal of further surplus accommodation will either bring in capital receipts or obviate the need for capital investment in other fields.

These decisions will match capacity to foreseeable demand. My aim is to correct a situation which is becoming increasingly anomalous, and to introduce a measure of stability in place of the uncertainties of the last few years.