CAB129-78 — Page 284

SECRET

C.P. (55) 205

19th December, 1955

CABINET

Copy No.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

MEMORANDUM BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

I was asked by the Cabinet to submit proposals for technical education in England and Wales (C.M. (55) 45th Conclusions, Minute 6). The Universities are outside my province. An increase in their departments of science and technology can be expected. But to keep pace with other industrial countries it is clear that the big increase in numbers must come through the technical colleges.

2. The accompanying memorandum outlines my plans. I am asking for authority to select and build up some twenty-five regional colleges where advanced technology would be taught up to university standards. Each such college would be the centre of a group of satellite colleges, planned to suit industry. These lower-level colleges would train technicians and provide growing numbers of students, the best of whom would go on to advanced studies. In this way the gaps in the existing pattern of technical colleges can be filled in, provided local authorities can be persuaded to accept regional planning in the interests of British industry.

3. My recommendation is that the programme as a whole should be announced in a White Paper, and that we should aim to start projects to the value of £70 million in building in the lifetime of this Parliament, and to complete them in eight years.

Ministry of Education, W.1,

16th December, 1955.

49244

Page 284

D. E.

Page 284

74

334