‘Attainment gap’ cash spent on new teachers

HEADTEACHERS are being forced to use a flagship fund meant to help pupils in the poorest areas to plug teacher shortages.

Schools across the country have employed an additional 500 teachers in the past year using a limited pool of money which had been earmarked for projects to cut the attainment gap between pupils from the most deprived and affluent areas.

Education Secretary John Swinney hailed the rise in teacher numbers yesterday as he published the Schools in Scotland report.

But he was attacked by opponents who accused him of forcing headteachers to use ‘additional’ cash to ‘firefight’ cuts imposed by the SNP while taking credit.

The figures revealed that, despite hundreds of new teachers, class sizes remain ‘among the largest in the developed world’ with the attainment gap growing as youngsters progress through school.

Last year, the total number of teachers in Scotland’s primary, secondary and special schools rose by 543 to 51,513, with 506 of those hired by headteachers through the SNP’s attainment fund.

This means there are 666 teachers employed using the £750million targeted fund – which is to be spent over the next four years.

The surge in employment in schools follows fears of a continuing recruitment crisis in classrooms, with 3,500 fewer teachers than when the SNP came to power in 2007.

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘The SNP is far more committed to massaging statistics and blurring the facts than delivering an education system that will encourage and prepare our children for the challenges of the 21st century.’

Previously the SNP had claimed that any teachers hired using funds earmarked to close the attainment gap would not be included in its national teaching statistics – but yesterday they were. Had the figure not been included, it would have shown an increase of just 37.

Mr Swinney said: ‘Education is this Government’s number one priority and we are investing heavily to ensure every child in Scotland has an equal chance to realise their full potential.’