HC Deb 18 October 1982 vol 29 cc36-7W
Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of Newman college, Birmingham and the cuts in capacity at the De La Salle college, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange;

(2) what representations he has received objecting to the proposed closure of Newman college, Birmingham and cuts in the capacity of De La Salle college, Manchester; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what consultations he has had with Roman Catholic education authorities concerning the proposed closure of Newman college, Birmingham and cuts in capacity at the De La Salle college, Manchester.

Mr. Waldegrave:

On 6 August the Department proposed that initial teacher training should be discontinued at 14 institutions in England, including De La Salle college and Newman college. The proposed changes are being considered in the context of a considerable reduction in the overall need for newly trained teachers, following from the sharp fall in the birth rate and in the school population which is down by more than 1.5 million in a decade from the mid-1970s. To reflect this, my right hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for Wales decided that planned annual admissions to initial teacher training in England and Wales should be reduced from some 20,200 in 1981 to 15,000 in 1983, 16,300 in 1984, and 16,900 in 1985. The savings which will result are contained within, and are not additional to the Government's overall planned reductions for higher education.

Teacher training is part of higher education generally and it would be wrong for the teacher training system to pre-empt a much greater share of the available resources than could be justified by the demand for newly trained teachers and the needs of the schools. Given the size and nature of the reductions, it is inevitable that a number of institutions will cease to be involved in initial teacher training and others lose courses which they value.

The Department's proposals are provisional and institutions and their maintaining local education authorities or voluntary bodies were invited to comment. We are now in the process of considering their responses and I have received deputations from De La Salle college and Newman college. My right hon. Friend and I also recently met representatives of the Roman Catholic bishop's education commission, and officials are having discussions with the Catholic education council. We have received over 200 letters of support for the colleges. All representations will be carefully considered before final decisions are taken.