Pupils cannot afford three-year wait

The teacher recruitment crisis in Scotland’s schools shows no sign of easing despite efforts by the Government at Holyrood. There are 700 vacancies despite innovative schemes developed by recruiters.

In Perth and Kinross, for example, the council offered staff the chance to train for a teaching role while keeping their own job and Perth College has started a post-graduate training course. But far more still needs to be done. The situation at some schools in Scotland is verging on the ridiculous and will be damaging children and their fledgling school careers.

A primary one school in Broughty Ferry has gone through five teachers in a single year — parents are rightly worried and their children must be bewildered.

The knock-on effect in later years education could be catastrophic.

It is a situation which is not sustainable and, while the Scottish Government must be praised for at least acknowledging the issue, the pressure must be maintained on ministers to properly tackle it.

Education minister John Swinney is a skilled operator and it was little surprise the First Minister turned to him to resolve the crisis.

For the sake of youngsters in school during the dire shortages, he must do so soon.