John Swinney accused of overseeing Scotland teacher recruitment 'crisis' after missed targets

John Swinney has admitted there are “challenges” in recruiting teachers in some subjects.

John Swinney has been accused of overseeing a “crisis” in teacher recruitment as the First Minister acknowledged “challenges” in meeting his government’s targets.

The warning comes after The Scotsman revealed that just 1,062 graduates enrolled in Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) courses for secondary teaching in 2024, against a target of 2,000.

A teacher and students in a classroom | PA

Only 75 students were studying to be maths teachers via a PGDE, compared to the target of 250, while 138 were studying to be English teachers against a target of 248.

The total number of students studying to become secondary teachers, including at undergraduate level, was 1,333 compared to a target of 2,336, according to provisional figures provided by universities for the October 2024 intake.

READ MORE: SNP warned of looming crisis as shortfall in student secondary teachers revealed

The intake at primary level exceeded a target of 1,734, with 1,785 enrolling in courses.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton told Mr Swinney “there is a crisis in teacher training”.

He said: “Over the past three years, the Scottish Government has aimed to recruit and train 750 maths teachers.

Alex Cole-Hamilton is putting the weight of the Scottish Liberal Democrats behind Shona Robison's Scottish Government budget

“In reality, it has missed that target by a country mile and has trained only a third of the maths teachers that Scotland needs. What is going wrong?”

In response, the First Minister admitted “there are challenges in the recruitment of teachers to particular specialisms”.

Scottish politics has never been more important - get The Steamie newsletter today

He said: “The Government has acknowledged that in the steps that we have taken. For example, the teaching bursary scheme provides a £20,000 bursary to career changers, which is aimed particularly at individuals who aspire to be maths teachers.

“The Government provides more than £186m to support the recruitment and retention of teachers, to ensure that we reach 2023 levels in our local authority employment of teachers.

First Minister John Swinney | PA

“The Government is working in partnership with local authorities to ensure that we achieve that objective.”

But the Lib Dems leader insisted the strategy “is clearly not working”.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Although that was a predictably managerial reply from the First Minister, we are talking about our kids and their futures. Where is the hunger and the passion to resolve that?

“Also, it is not just maths — chemistry, physics and biology are each hundreds of trainee teachers short. The Government says that there ‘is an economic urgency to address’ our digital skills shortage, yet it is training only 16 computing teachers this year — I repeat, 16 — for the whole of Scotland.

“We need home-grown skills if we are going to lead in industries such as renewables, artificial intelligence, defence and precision medicine.”

Mr Swinney told MSPs that his Government “will work with our local authority partners to increase teacher numbers”.

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

He said: “That was one of the central commitments made in the Budget that we negotiated with our local authority colleagues. The Government has delivered its side of the bargain in relation to financial support to local authorities, and I look to local authorities to recruit.

“There is co-operation through the strategic board for teacher education, which explores the issues around recruitment and addresses some of the challenges.

“I assure Mr Cole-Hamilton that there is no lack of energy in Government to ensure that our schools are well supported with the recruitment of teachers to meet the needs of children and young people in Scotland.”