Scottish teacher numbers continue to fall

Teacher numbers have fallen to their lowest level in eight years, official figures showed today.

There were 54,600 teachers in classrooms in the second quarter of 2010, according to new public sector employment statistics.

Numbers have fallen by more than 2,000 in the last year alone and by almost 3,000 since the SNP Government came to power in 2007.

Labour education spokesman Des McNulty said it shows the "complete failure" of SNP education policy.

He added: "There seems to be no end to SNP policy failure in education.

"Many of the hundreds of newly-qualified teachers unable to get jobs are considering leaving the profession.

"Meanwhile the SNP are slashing the numbers entering teacher education, which senior educationalists believe is storing up problems for the future.

"Scottish education desperately needs a change of Government so that the terminal decline of SNP education policy does not drag Scotland's education system down any further."

The numbers refer to full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers. They show there were 54,600 teachers between April and June this year - this is down 2,200 on the same period last year when the figures stood at 56,800.

It is the lowest level since the third quarter of 2002 when there were 54,400. The figure stood at 57,500 when the SNP came to power in 2007.

The figures emerged in official statistics which showed there were 606,400 people employed in the public sector between April and June.

This is down 8,100 on the same period last year but the public sector still accounts for almost a quarter (24.7%) of all jobs in Scotland.

This includes staff working for Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Northern Rock, which are all or partially owned by the taxpayer.

But Finance Secretary John Swinney said the figures show there is likely to be more staff working in the NHS at the end of the current Parliament than the start.

He added: "Delivering cost-effective, joined-up services which provide real value for money is vitally important in Scotland's public sector - particularly as we face up to the huge challenge of dealing with Westminster-imposed spending cuts."