New promoted posts in primary and secondary schools would bring more responsibility for developing subject specialisms or becoming experts in areas such as literacy or narrowing the attainment gap.
Government officials and unions are discussing the scheme, which would be loosely based on a model in Singapore where teachers can gain “chief specialist” status.
In Scotland, by contrast, teachers often reach the top of the pay scale after six years, raising concerns that the only path to promotion takes them out of the classroom and into management. This is seen as one of the factors hitting recruitment and retention.
John Swinney, the education secretary – whose SNP administration scrapped the chartered teacher system five years ago – outlined the potential advantages of the proposal in a keynote speech at the annual Scottish Learning Festival in Glasgow last week.
“What we need to ensure is that we have got a wider number of routes that teachers can progress through other than leadership of schools,” Mr Swinney said.
“The Singapore model tends to develop around subject specialism or professional capacity to enhance practice and these are the topics we will explore.
“These approaches arose out of discussions to develop a greater focus on professional learning.”
The issue of higher pay has not been discussed, Mr Swinney added. However, teaching unions were adamant that the positions must be rewarded with a rise in salary.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), said: “In order to keep the profession refreshed and engaged in the development of their teaching there have to be extra enhanced career pathways.
“That would involve teachers developing good practice in key areas such as tackling the impact of poverty.
“This has to be looked at because promotion routes no longer exist for teachers and there is a risk of burn-out because of that.”
Mr Flanagan said he was “absolutely clear” the scheme could only work with a salary enhancement.
Meanwhile, Mr Swinney’s plan to press ahead with “regional collaborative hubs” have faced further criticism from opposition parties.
Iain Gray, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman, said: “John Swinney is wrong to double down on these reforms in the face of mounting criticism from teachers, parents, unions and academics.”
Tavish Scott, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said: “John Swinney has failed to convince Parliament that his endless pursuit of structural changes to education is working.”
The solution is more funding, he added.