(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/84
Image Reference:0028
CONFIDENTIAL
C.P.(56)
r
COPY NO.
278
10th D e c e m b e r ,
1956.
CABINET
A F U R T H E R A D V A N C E IN
EDUCATION
M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e M i n i she..: o f
Education
Suez has r e v e a l e d our w e a k n e s s .
We c a n n o t p r o t e c t o u r
o v e r s e a s interests without c l o s e r allies, o r m a n a g e sterling without
bigger reserves.
T o r e m a i n a g r e a t P o w e r in t h e t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y m i g h t
s e e m b e y o n d u s if i t w e r e n o t f o r n u c L e a r p o w e r , a n d t h e l e s s c e r t a i n , b u t
p o t e n t i a l l y t r e m e n d o u s a d v a n t a g e s of t h e C o m m o n M a r k e t .
But have we
t h e r e s o u r c e s to s u c c e e d in t h e s e e n t e r p r i s e s ?
S i z e of p o p u l a t i o n w a s
n e v e r d e c i s i v e ; s t i l l l e s s s o i n a n a g e of s c i e n c e a n d t e c h n o l o g y .
Education is the soil'and the other social s e r v i c e s , including Council housing,
a r e t h e f r u i t of a n e x p a n d i n g e c o n o m y .
Education
to-day
2,
Since the war we have just about kept pace with the i n c r e a s e
i n t h e n u m b e r of c h i l d r e n , b o t h i n p r o v i d i n g n e w s c h o o l s a n d r e c r u i t i n g
teachers.
B u t t h e e f f o r t h a s l e f t l i t t l e m a r g i n f o r r e d u c i n g t h e s i z e of
c l a s s e s o r i m p r o v i n g t h e q u a l i t y of t e a c h e r s .
And under p r e s e n t policies
c o n d i t i o n s in the s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l s m u s t w o r s e n d u r i n g the next few y e a r s .
T h i s d e t e r i o r a t i o n will a t t r a c t m u c h m o r e unfavourable c o m m e n t than the
r e c e n t o v e r c r o w d i n g in p r i m a r y s c h o o l s , p a r t l y b e c a u s e c h i l d r e n a n d t h e i r
p a r e n t s t a k e m o r e i n t e r e s t in e d u c a t i o n a s t h e t i m e t o s t a r t e a r n i n g
a p p r o a c h e s , and p a r t l y b e c a u s e the g e n e r a l public is b e c o m i n g m o r e a w a r e
of t h e n e e d f o r b e t t e r t r a i n e d m a n p o w e r .
We shall not, therefore, be able
to c l a i m that we a r e even holding our own.
3.
T h e 245,000 t e a c h e r s in t h e m a i n t a i n e d s c h o o l s a r e a m i x e d lot.
T o o m a n y have had too little t r a i n i n g .
T h e r e i s a s e v e r e s h o r t a g e of
a b l e t e a c h e r s c a p a b l e of g e t t i n g t h e b e s t o u t of s i x t h - f o r m e r s , p a r t i c u l a r l y
in s c i e n c e and m a t h e m a t i c s ; t h i s s h o r t a g e w i l l s h o w u p m o r e c l e a r l y e a c h
year as the "bulge" passes through the secondary schools.
T h e t e a c h i n g staff in t e c h n i c a l c o l l e g e s w i l l h a v e t o b e i n c r e a s e d
in n u m b e r s and i m p r o v e d in q u a l i t y .
An independent c o m m i t t e e is
examining the p r o b l e m and is likely t o r e c o m m e n d , a m o n g other m e a s u r e s ,
b e t t e r t r a i n i n g f o r m e n c o m i n g o u t of i n d u s t r y t o t e a c h i n t h e c o l l e g e s .
4,
C o m p a r e d w i t h o t h e r a d v a n c e d c o u n t r i e s , t h e p r o p o r t i o n of
o u r c h i l d r e n - a b o u t 3 p e r c e n t - w h o go t o a u n i v e r s i t y is v e r y l o w .
A b o u t 4 0 p e r c e n t of t h e 1 7 y e a r o l d s g e t s o m e f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n i n
t e c h n i c a l c o l l e g e s , but not n e a r l y enough - o n l y a b o u t 1 p e r c e n t t a k e
full-time advanced courses.
O u r p l a n s for the u n i v e r s i t i e s and t e c h n i c a l
c o l l e g e s a r e p r o b a b l y a s m u c h a s we c a n do at p r e s e n t .
Even this
m e a s u r e of e x p a n s i o n w i l l , h o w e v e r , b e f r u s t r a t e d u n l e s s t h e e d u c a t i o n i n
the s c h o o l s is i m p r o v e d .
i
9
0
5.
T h e r e i s n o m e a n s of r a i s i n g t h e s t a n d a r d s of e d u c a t i o n u n l e s s
t h e t e a c h i n g p r o f e s s i o n d e s e r v e s a n d h o l d s a h i g h e r p l a c e in p u b l i c
estimation.
Opinion i s m o v i n g v/ell and would r e s p o n d t o a f u r t h e r l e a d
from the Government.
The r e c e n t B u r n h a m a w a r d has pulled out the
c o n c e r t i n a of s a l a r i e s , b u t u n t i l a n h o n o u r s d e g r e e s c i e n t i s t c a n l o o k
f o r w a r d t o a s good a c a r e e r t e a c h i n g a s in t h e c i v i l s e r v i c e o r i n d u s t r y ,
as he c a n in R u s s i a , w e shall fall behind in the r a c e .
T h e r e should be
m o r e p l u m s in t e a c h i n g .
T h e m o r e a n d b e t t e r t e a c h e r s w e h a v e at h o m e t h e e a s i e r it
will be to r e c r u i t for teaching o v e r s e a s .
As the o v e r s e a s Ministers know
to-day we cannot begin to meet the demand.
6.
W h a t t h e s c h o o l s s h o u l d t e a c h i n t h e a g e of n u c l e a r p h y s i c s
and a u t o m a t i o n is being widely debated.
My Central Advisory Council
is c o n s i d e r i n g t h e w h o l e s u b j e c t , but i s u n l i k e l y to r e p o r t b e f o r e 1958,
In t h e m e a n t i m e m u c h h a s t o b e d o n e t o l i n k t h e t o p s of t h e
s e c o n d a r y schools with the technical colleges.
T h i s w o r k c a n only go
f o r w a r d if t h e m e a n s a r e a v a i l a b l e t o e x p a n d s u i t a b l e c o u r s e s f o r b o y s
and g i r l s in t h e i r l a s t y e a r s at s c h o o l .
Building
7.
Buildings a r e the outward s y m b o l to p a r e n t s , children and
t e a c h e r s of t h e G o v e r n m e n t s b e l i e f i n e d u c a t i o n .
The programmes authorised
at p r e s e n t do not a i m at the i m p r o v e m e n t in s t a n d a r d s d e m a n d e d b y o u r
policy for u n i v e r s i t i e s and t e c h n i c a l c o l l e g e s .
Conclusion
8.
If i t w e r e d e c i d e d t o t r e a t e d u c a t i o n w i t h t h e s a m e u r g e n c y
as w e a r e t r e a t i n g atomic e n e r g y , and for the s a m e r e a s o n s , then I would
a s k f o r s o m e t h i n g of t h i s o r d e r : ­
( l ) A n a n n o u n c e m e n t b y t h e G o v e r n m e n t of t h e p l a c e
t h e y intend to give to education and an u n d e r t a k i n g
that the extra r e s o u r c e s will be forthcoming;
(Z) a s c h o o l b u i l d i n g p r o g r a m m e g e a r e d t o t h e w o r k
that local a u t h o r i t i e s could do efficiently and
without r a i s i n g c o s t s : in p r a c t i c e this would
m e a n few e x t r a s t a r t s b e f o r e 1 9 5 8 ;
( 3 ) e n o u g h m o n e y t o i m p r o v e t h e t r a i n i n g of t e a c h e r s
and to offer a few m o r e p l u m s to a t t r a c t t e a c h e r s
of t h e r i g h t q u a l i t y .
9.
A t t h i s s t a g e I a m n o t a s k i n g f o r a n y d e f i n i t e s u m of m o n e y
s i n c e s u c h a l a r g e q u e s t i o n of p r i n c i p l e h a s f i r s t t o b e d e c i d e d .
D.E.
M i n i s t r y of E d u c a t i o n , W. 1 .
7th D e c e m b e r ,
1956.