Exclusive:SNP plans 20% cut to number of new primary school teachers as job shortages leave thousands on 'scrap heap'

Targets for training new primary school teachers could be slashed by up to a fifth in Scotland amid growing concerns about the number of staff struggling to find jobs, The Scotsman can reveal.

Officials have been discussing a reduction of between 10 per cent and 20 per cent over the next two years.

Thousands of teachers are struggling to find permanent jobs in Scotland. Picture: Cate Gillon

The move is being considered as frustrations rise over the lack of permanent posts for teachers across much of Scotland, with reports of job adverts attracting hundreds of applications in some areas.

The government insisted a “range of options” were being considered, with “no decisions” taken yet about targets for next year.

Scottish Teachers for Permanence, a grassroots group established to advocate for job security and stability for more than 4,000 teachers, said a 20 per cent cut “may be a start” but even that “falls far short” of what is required to address the “severe oversaturation in the primary sector”.

It said the intake should be reduced by 50 per cent to deliver “meaningful change”.

Data for last year shows just 16.6 per cent of new primary teachers had a permanent job in the September after becoming fully qualified.

Despite this it was decided to maintain the targets of training 1,734 primary teachers and 2,336 secondary for this year.

The target for primary was actually exceeded last year, and applications are reported to have been “high” again this year.

However, it has now emerged that action to address concerns about the lack of permanent jobs for teachers has been discussed by Scottish Government officials as well as representatives from councils and universities.

A minute of a September meeting of the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group showed it was asked for its views on “whether a reduction to primary intake targets should be considered to address the current over-supply issue”.

The group heard that “universities generally agree with a reduction to the overall primary intake targets” and they would “like to see this agreed as soon as possible for planning purposes”.

Reductions to primary intakes could be across undergraduate, combined degrees and and PGDE (professional graduate diploma in education).

The minute said: “The reduction could potentially happen over a two year period (2025/26 & 26/27) to allow universities time to adjust.

“The level of reduction probably needs to be around 10 per cent to 20 per cent on current targets over these two years.”

Options will also consider “different approaches for the more rural HEIs (higher education institutions)”, with some schools in more rural areas having traditionally struggled to recruit teachers, despite a lack of jobs in the Central Belt.

In contrast to primary courses, there is shortfall in demand for students seeking to become secondary teachers in most subjects, with an intake on training courses of just 1,241 last year, against a target of 2,336.

Any move to cut the intakes for new teachers would also raise fresh questions about the SNP’s manifesto pledge to recruit an additional 3,500 teachers by 2026.

Teacher numbers have fallen by 250 across Scotland since the promise was made, and further reductions are expected this year in areas such as Glasgow, where 172 posts have been axed by the SNP-run local authority.

A spokesperson for Scottish Teachers for Permanence said: “Many teachers began their training under the promise of 3,500 additional teaching roles - a commitment that was quietly abandoned while they were still in training.

“As it stands, we’re producing far more primary teachers than there are positions available, leaving thousands of qualified teachers unable to find work despite their commitment and qualifications.

“Secondary education faces its own distinct challenges, which need to be addressed separately from primary.

“While some secondary subjects have clear shortages, others face a major surplus. Continuing to admit student teachers in these oversupplied subjects is counterproductive and unfair to those entering fields with limited job prospects.

“For example, recent biology vacancies have attracted around 100 applicants for a single post - a staggering figure that highlights the scale of the issue.

“Universities should prioritise teacher training places for subjects with genuine shortages. For surplus areas, intake should be frozen unless agreements ensure that these teachers will work in locations with a real need for their subject expertise.

“Adding more biology teachers in the Central Belt, for instance, does little to address overall staffing needs—whereas in Aberdeen, the demand might be more closely aligned with supply.”

The group added: “A reduction of 20 per cent in primary teacher intake may be a start, but it falls far short of what’s needed to make any sort of impact on the severe oversaturation in the primary sector.

“With annual intake close to 2,000, even a 20 per cent cut only reduces that by 400 university places - nowhere near enough to address the imbalance. Realistically, intake should be cut by at least 50 per cent to see meaningful change.”

Pupils at a Glasgow school | John Devlin / National World

Willie Rennie, education spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “The level of unemployment, short term contracts and underemployment amongst teachers, especially primary teachers has been far too high. New teachers have been left on the scrap heap.

“This is because the government have failed to secure 3,500 extra teachers as they promised at the last election. The decision to cut the intake at ITEs (initial teacher education) is a sign of the Government's failure to deliver that recruitment." 

The Scottish Government is also failing to deliver a commitment to reduce class contact time for teachers.

Minutes show the advisory group discussed whether reducing the intake of new primary teachers would impact those plans, and how modelling “did not show a need for increasing the number of primary teachers in the system”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group considers a range of options to provide evidence-based advice to ministers.

“This process for intakes in August 2025 is ongoing and no decision has been taken.”

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