Staff crisis could shut our schools
Education chief’s stark warning to Sturgeon
SCHOOLS could be forced to close because of a growing shortage of teachers, a council’s education chief has warned.
In an extraordinary clash with the SNP, Angela Taylor said Nicola Sturgeon had turned Aberdeen into the ‘forgotten city’ – leaving it to ‘twist in the wind’.
There are 134 teaching vacancies across the city – roughly double the number there were nine months ago.
Aberdeen City Council said redundancies in the oil industry have seen teachers moving away with their families.
The Labour-led authority last night issued an urgent plea for the Scottish Government to intervene.
The row heaps more pressure on Education Secretary John Swinney as he faces industrial unrest in schools across Scotland and mounting calls to drive up classroom standards.
Hundreds of Scottish teacher training places were unfilled last year and key subjects fell dramatically short of their targets, which experts warned could exacerbate a national teacher shortage.
Last night Mrs Taylor, convener of Aberdeen’s education and children’s services, said Miss Sturgeon had failed to help the city as the crisis over teachers deepens – and accused Mr Swinney of refusing to meet council chiefs.
Mrs Taylor said: ‘This is a very serious issue – a recent report highlighted there were 134 vacancies and there is a risk we might have to close schools. It’s not an empty threat, we need to get teachers in front of classes.’
Primary schools, with 68 vacancies, are worst hit. Mrs Taylor wrote to Miss Sturgeon in February after the SNP announced a £12million fund to help ex-oil staff find other work, including teaching.
But yesterday Mrs Taylor said the recruitment drive had done ‘precious little’ to mitigate the problem.
‘This is a national problem but there’s no doubt Aberdeen is a special case because of the high cost of living plus the oil and gas crisis,’ she said. ‘We have evidence many of those losing their jobs are married to teachers and being forced to move to other parts of the country to look for work.
‘The First Minister seems to concede this city is a special case but as far as I’m concerned, Aberdeen’s being left to twist in the wind given the precious little support we have been given.’
She said she also wrote to Mr Swinney calling for face-toface crisis talks. She added education was an SNP priority but ‘without meaningful action to back up that claim, these are little more than weasel words and, as things stand, Aberdeen remains the SNP’s forgotten city’.
Drew Morrice, of the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union, said: ‘The North East has suffered because of teacher shortages and there is a growing crisis in Aberdeen which requires a degree of intervention by the Scottish Government. Across Scotland, a number of councils have reported problems with teacher recruitment.’
In March, Perth and Kinross Council warned the loss of funds for supply cover – teachers who stand in when full-timers are off – meant pupils may have to be sent home and schools temporarily closed.
Last night, a Scottish Government spokesman said ministers ‘want all schools to have access to the right number of teachers with the right skills so every child in every community has the opportunity to fulfil their potential’.
He added: ‘Mr Swinney will be in Aberdeen on Monday to hear directly from education directors, headteachers and teachers from Aberdeen and other parts of the north of Scotland about the challenges they’re facing and opportunities moving forward.’ Snoopers ‘black hole’ – Page 28
‘Left to twist in the wind’