Teacher numbers boosted

More than 1,250 new teachers and support staff have been recruited as a result of £80 million of support announced in the summer.

Education Secretary John Swinney pledged the ring-fenced package of funding to help local authorities’ recruitment for the re-opening of schools.

Councils indicate that they have already recruited 1,250 teachers with an estimated further 200 in the pipeline. An additional 155 support staff have also been hired with a further 100 expected to follow.

Speaking ahead of an appearance before the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Mr Swinney said:

“As the country contends with the scourge of coronavirus (COVID-19), it is crucial that everyone involved in educating our children and young people is supported.

“In June, I made clear that funding would be provided to increase the teaching and support workforce if it was required to meet the current challenges. This additional staffing resource will bring much needed resilience to the education system and compensates for any loss of learning suffered by children and young people during lockdown.

“Local authorities are still working through recruitment processes and we expect the numbers recruited to increase as schools continue to assess the needs of children and young people over the coming weeks.”