SNP 'breaks its first New Year resolution' over teaching jobs

A GOVERNMENT promise to provide a job for every newly qualified teacher next year has been dismissed as "meaningless".

Falling numbers of jobs, due to council cuts and declining birth rates, have left soaring numbers of teachers out of work.

In response, the Scottish Government cut the number being trained at universities and guaranteed a probationary place for all those graduating.

It also vowed to provide sufficient places for all those finishing their probationary year and becoming fully fledged teachers.

However, Scotland's biggest teaching union, the EIS, said a backlog of thousands of teachers left without a job meant the majority of those seeking a place would still lose out.

EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith pointed out the jobs would not be reserved for those who had just achieved full status, and those unable to find permanent positions over the past few years would be competing for work.

He said the guarantee was for sufficient places, not a job for everyone leaving their induction year.

Mr Smith went on: "Unless there is something stronger, this is a meaningless aspiration.

"It is not robust and I don't think it will provide much comfort to 1,800 coming out this year. If they think they have a guaranteed job, then are mistaken."

The union has lodged a petition with the signatures of about 5,000 unemployed teachers calling for councils and the Scottish Government to share responsibility for ending the haemorrhaging of jobs.

Recent statistics from regulator the General Teaching Council for Scotland showed only 16.1 per cent of those leaving their probationary year became fully fledged teachers this year - an all-time low. When the survey began in 2005, the figure was 63.3 per cent.

Last year, 27.1 per cent found no teaching work at all, compared with 5.3 per cent in 2005.

The SNP government has promised to maintain teacher numbers at 53,000 and use the extra staff to reduce class sizes.

Mr Smith said: "It is time now for the Scottish Government to stand up and make a clear statement on the number of teachers it wishes to see in our schools and how it intends to ensure they are employed. If they can do it for police numbers, they can do it for teacher numbers".

Education secretary Michael Russell said he was deeply committed to making sure the Scottish Government worked with councils to reduce teacher unemployment.

He said the promise to provide enough jobs for all those finishing their training year would reduce teacher unemployment despite the backlog.

He said: "That's why the draft budget agreement with (council umbrella group] Cosla includes a commitment to a real reduction in teacher unemployment as well guaranteeing a probationer place for every newly qualified teacher in August 2011, and sufficient posts for all those finishing their probation in summer 2011 to apply for.

I believe this will lead to a real reduction in teacher unemployment."