of teacher training colleges are taking place. As we move towards summer. thousands of young teachers are having to face the grim reality of the Labour government's education cuts: that there are no jobs waiting for them at the end of their course.
Starting in Scotland, ot inose leaving teacher training eges this year expect to be unemployed, the occupations have spread like wildTire inrougnout ine country. southland's (South London) was the first to pick up ine call sourn or ine border and, in the days that followed, Manchester to Bristol took similar action.
The prospects before young teachers are indeed grim. estimated o, vuv unable to get a Job and this is expected to rise to 15, 000 September. dre no beller since ine government nas. for some time now, been pursuing plans stucents meet to discuss the way forward in occupied Southlands Collec mass occupations where over 60% other colleges from Inere are already an by The longer-term prospects rhoto. whinis Avics (Heport, to cut drastically back on the teacher pupil ratios.
Dole Queue The present 'cut-backs' are. only the latest in a whole series of cuts in teacher supplv.
Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers succestea inat reduced classes to 30 by 1981, pupi ratios should be 19.7:1 for prim . ary schools and 16.3:1 for schools.
These targets - which the unions have fought for - first came under attack by Mrs Thatcher when, in 1971, she back the HUNNOCE of teachers by over 50, 000. The present Labour government (returned on creating smaller classes) accepted the Thatcher figures and began. closing many colleges of education. this year. ine number or students enter. ing college had dropped to 30, 000.
are too snod over Is Chrysler.
Tor ine rant Action unacceptable.
after all, in 19oo ine National for teacherposals secondary Even those figures it now appears,
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by A. Fox.