... and schools go short of teachers

THE number of supply teachers in Scotland has plummeted, alongside cuts to permanent posts.

Figures revealed yesterday showed the scale of cuts to the number of teachers available to cover for absence, holidays, sickness and vacancies.

At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson produced data showing the number of supply teachers has almost halved in Edinburgh since 2011, fallen by more than a third in the Borders and been cut by 1,000 in Glasgow.

Permanent teacher numbers have fallen from 55,000 to 51,000 since the SNP took power in 2007.

Miss Davidson said: ‘We know the lack of teachers in schools is damaging the quality of education on offer to children. That’s the view of inspectors and teacher leaders.

‘Now we learn today the number of supply teachers is nose-diving.

‘For parents who just want their children to get a decent standard of education, it is deeply worrying. This failure to properly staff our classrooms is the result of ten years of neglect by this incompetent SNP Government.

‘The First Minister must think again. No to separation – yes to education.’

The Tory figures showed that, in Edinburgh, supply teacher numbers fell from 305 in 2011-12 to 165 in 2016-17. In the Borders, they declined from 346 to 217 and there was a fall from 2,396 to 1,391 in Glasgow.

Miss Davidson said: ‘There are fewer teachers, more vacancies and fewer supply teachers to fill in when needed. How can the First Minister defend that?’

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘We have opened up new routes to get teachers into classrooms. We have also increased the future intake for teacher training to 370 this year.

‘We continue to take the action required to get standards up in our schools.’