SNP asleep at the wheel on education: Davidson

Figures: Teacher numbers appear in drastic decline

Nicola Sturgeon was challenged over whether her priority is “separation or education” after being confronted with figures showing plunging teacher numbers.

There are 4,000 fewer teachers in Scotland since the SNP came to power in 2007, Ruth Davidson said at First Minister’s Questions. That is compounded by a dwindling supply teacher stock, the Scottish Conservative leader added.

In Dundee, there are just 75 supply teachers listed for 2016/17 – one of the lowest in the country, according to figures obtained through freedom of information laws. There were 331 reserve teachers in Angus in the latest figures they provided – 100 fewer than there were four years previously.

Ms Davidson accused the Nationalists of “falling asleep at the wheel over the last decade” on teacher recruitment.

She mocked claims from the SNP leader that education was her priority amid her drive for a new independence referendum, before asking: “Separation or education, which is it First Minister?”

Ms Davidson added: “We face a crisis in classrooms across Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon must sort out her priorities.”

To jeers from the opposition benches, Ms Sturgeon said the Tory leader in Scotland “tries to shoe horn in reference to the constitution” at “every opportunity”.

Ms Sturgeon said teacher numbers had “fluctuated” in line with pupil numbers, but admitted there are teacher recruitment challenges in parts of the country.

“We are taking a range of actions to make sure we have the right number of teachers in our schools,” she continued.

That includes, Ms Sturgeon added, 11 new routes of getting people into teaching, as well as close consultation with the General Teaching Council on boosting supply lists.

The Scottish Government is giving £120 million direct to head teachers, using Attainment Challenge funding to improve the performance of less advantaged pupils and introducing standardised assessments to equip teachers with more data, Ms Sturgeon added.

At Blairgowrie High School, which sits in education secretary John Swinney’s constituency, teachers have had to be drafted in from other parts of the district to deal with a shortage in the maths department.