Fall in teacher numbers set to pile pressure on Hyslop

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 21:40

THE future of education secretary Fiona Hyslop is under scrutiny again, ahead of a report that is expected to show another decrease in the number of teachers in Scotland.

Last year, official figures revealed there had been a reduction of 1,000 since the SNP took power in 2007. The latest figures will be published today.

Ms Hyslop came under fire from Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray during First Minister's Questions yesterday.

Mr Gray went on the attack over a plan unveiled earlier this week to persuade councils to borrow 10 million get rid of 500 experienced teachers to provide space for new graduates.

The proposal has infuriated councils, who accused Ms Hyslop of trying to force them to get rid of experienced teachers and led to threats that the concordat with the Scottish Government could begin to unravel.

During the exchanges, Mr Gray asked: "Is Alex Salmond the last man in Scotland who thinks Fiona Hyslop is up to the job?"

But the First Minister rejected the attacks on the education secretary and instead turned his fire on Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council.

"It is of considerable interest to people across Scotland that Glasgow council, for example, is responsible for a quarter of the fall in teacher numbers in Scotland over the last year," he said.

However, Mr Gray hit back, pointing out that 11 out of 12 SNP-run local authorities had shed teachers.

But Mr Salmond told him: "Fiona Hyslop came up with a plan yesterday to give young teachers a chance of a job in Scotland."