New teaching degree at Perth College UHI

Perth College UHI has introduced a new postgraduate degree in primary teaching, with the first students starting in August.

The new degree, which is being delivered in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council, aims to help fill vacant posts in the area’s rural primary schools. Currently, there are more than 700 teaching posts vacant across the country.

Perth College UHI hopes to lead the way in addressing this issue by offering 12 places on their new degree programme.

Professor Neil Simco, the assistant principal for curriculum growth and acting vice-principal for research at the college, said: “I am delighted about the roll out of our primary initial teacher training Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme at Perth College UHI.

“Building on what the university has already achieved in partnership with local authorities across the Highlands and Islands region, it is a very positive development that Perth College UHI and Perth and Kinross Council are working together to contribute to the supply for primary teachers, particularly in rural areas.”

Prof Simco said he hopes to extend this new degree to include secondary teaching in the future. He added: “I very much anticipate that this development will be followed by other work in initial teacher education including within secondary home economics, where a planning phase is currently being supported by the Scottish Government as part of the innovative routes into teaching initiative.”

Perth and Kinross Council has been offering financial assistance to staff members who want to retrain as teachers, and have been in talks with education chiefs at Dundee and Angus councils to create a shared pool of supply teachers across Tayside.

Councillor Elspeth Maclachlan, who represents the Perth City North ward, said: “It is important that teachers are trained locally, especially for those with family commitments that don’t allow them to leave the area to go onto further training.”