A small rise in the official number of secondary teachers in Scotland has failed to quell worries over staffing, with the spotlight falling on the areas of learning support and supply.
In 2017, there were 23,150 secondary teachers, up from 22,957 the previous year, the Scottish government announced in December. That is a rise of 0.8 per cent.
However, unions gave only a qualified welcome, pointing out that in 2007, when the SNP came to power, there were 27,681 secondary teachers. The new count represents a drop of 16 per cent since then.
Also, most of the extra staffing is being paid for out of the new Scotland Attainment Fund, at the discretion of headteachers targeting particular shortages, rather than an increases across the board.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here