The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dozens of vacancies at Courier Country schools
72 posts are available in Tayside and Fife
Schools in Tayside and Fife began the academic year with 72 teaching post vacancies.
Angus had 22 posts unfilled, having been allocated 23 probationer teachers by the Scottish Government.
Perth and Kinross had 23 vacancies, including three head teachers and three principal teachers across its secondary and primary estate, while Fife had 19.
Dundee enjoyed success in filling vacant posts with just eight remaining from the 21 that existed in November.
Gregor Murray, Dundee City Council’s children and families services convener, said: “We have been working really hard to ensure that every post is filled, and the start of this term is an improvement on previous years.”
Kevin Funnell, operations team manager at Fife Council, said recruitment had included widespread advertising across the UK and Ireland and use of social media. A record probationer intake has been sourced.
The local figures emerged as Scotland’s largest teaching union raised concerns over more than 500 unfilled posts across Scotland.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “If we are to ensure equity of provision across the country and address the poverty-related attainment gap, then it is essential that our schools are fully staffed.”
A spokesman for council body Cosla said: “This is a long-term problem ... councils do their best to attract teaching talent to their area with many offering incentives.”
Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith blamed the SNP government “boom and bust approach to training”.
Labour’s Iain Gray said: “This is the clearest evidence yet of the staffing crisis the SNP has created in Scottish teaching.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Although teacher recruitment is a matter for local authorities, we recognise some areas have faced challenges filling vacancies, which is why we have taken decisive action to recruit and retain teachers. This includes investing £88 million this year alone so every school has access to the right number of teachers.”