Celebrations, suspensions and tunnel visions ...

Euphoric Rangers fans defied Covid-19 rules to mark their team’s league win but it was another type of pitch – the one for a Scots-Irish tunnel – that may have bigger repercussions

Monday, March 8 Fears for pupils hit by crisis in teacher training

THE teaching profession has been hit by gaping trainee recruitment shortfalls in maths and science, sparking fears pupils will miss out on vital learning experiences.

Provisional figures for 2020/21 show intake to initial teacher education through a secondary-level graduate diploma (PGDE) and other routes fell well below target in a number of areas, including chemistry and physics.

Critics have warned that failure to maintain a steady inflow could increase the likelihood of subject classes being led by staff whose main qualification is in another discipline and who may not have the same degree of expertise, passion or interest.

The risk is that youngsters lose enthusiasm for the subject before they reach the senior phase, potentially depriving the economy of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

Concerns over recruitment come after the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reported declining scores for Scottish pupils in maths and science.

Union leaders said the latest statistics highlighted the need for a renewed focus on issues such as pay, workload and career progression.

Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, said: “It’s been a problem for a number of years – how do we attract people into the profession? How do we make it attractive in terms of pay and career structures? Workload is driving lots of teachers away. This the sort of issue you have to address.

“We have to make it an attractive proposition by addressing the fundamentals, which means the support system in school, career opportunities, and managing and controlling workload.”

Sturgeon: ‘You risked lives by celebreating win’

FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon condemned Rangers supporters who gathered in large numbers to paint the town blue, warning their Scottish Premiership title party could risk lives and delay the easing of lockdown.

Thousands of jubilant fans gathered in George Square and outside Ibrox Stadium yesterday as the club won Scottish football’s top prize for the first time in 10 years.

However, as Glasgow city centre was turned into a sea of blue, with flags waved and flares lit, Ms Sturgeon used social media to address the “infuriating and disgraceful” scenes as she urged Rangers to ask people to go home.

She tweeted: “I share folks’ anger at this. Everyone has made so many sacrifices in the past year and seeing a minority risk our progress is infuriating and disgraceful.

“It is deeply unfair to the entire country, and the police have a hard enough job already. Please ask fans to go home @RangersFC.”

Ms Sturgeon had earlier warned about the potential consequences of the celebrations.

“Gathering in crowds just now risks lives, and could delay exit from lockdown for everyone else,” she tweeted.

“If those gathering care at all about the safety of others and the country, they will go home.”

Earlier in the day, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf urged fans not to put lives at risk by flouting lockdown rules.

He said it would be “churlish” not to congratulate the team, but added: “I understand Rangers fans will be desperate to celebrate but please remember you must stay at home.

“No mass gatherings are allowed. We cannot risk any further spread of the virus.”

Tuesday, March 9 Ferry fiasco shipyard at centre of £5m legal fight

MINISTERS are facing a £5 million legal claim in a dispute over a secret deal that paved the way to the nationalisation of the shipyard at the centre of Scotland’s ferry-building fiasco.

Details of the claim have come as it emerged that the Scottish Government “gave up” £21m in insurance payments in relation to the collapse of Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) as part of the confidential agreement.

Ministers had ploughed in bailout loans totalling £45m to ailing Ferguson Marine before it fell into administration nearly two years ago.

Details of the action came after it emerged last week that the Scottish Government faces a penalty of up to £190m because of irregularities in spending hundreds of millions in Euro funds which have stretched back six years. The potential penalties arise from the suspension by the European Commission (EC) of millions of pounds in payments earmarked for