A shortage of teachers in some authorities is threatening Scottish pupils’ exam results and a government scheme to protect staffing numbers is exacerbating the problem, according to councils.

Seven local authorities in the north of Scotland have criticised the Holyrood policy in a joint statement, citing a particularly severe impact on STEM subjects. The scheme requires councils to maintain existing teacher numbers even if pupil rolls drop, leading to an excess of teachers for some authorities and a shortage for others, critics say.

The Northern Alliance, which includes Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Moray, said: “There are serious concerns in relation to recruiting certain subject specialisms in secondary schools, particularly in the STEM subjects, home economics and modern languages, and there are serious risks to attainment in national examinations as a result of this.”

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