Fall in teacher vacancies in Scotland

Advertised vacancies for permanent primary teacher roles in Scotland have dropped by more than half since last year, from 204 to 88, according to new data.

The Scottish Government claims that local councils have advertised 224 fewer permanent teacher vacancies for primary and secondary schools combined compared to the same time last year. Teaching vacancies for the secondary sector alone - with primary schools removed - dropped by more than 100, from 402 to 294.

The data also indicates the number of posts advertised for more than three months has nearly halved, from 157 in 2018 to 88. The 2019 Teacher Vacancy Survey also indicates: advertised vacancies for secondary Maths and English teachers have more than halved since 2017; there have been drops in advertised vacancies in almost all secondary school subjects since 2017; and the drop has been particularly sharp for Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Home Economics vacancies.

Education Secretary John Swinney said: “This encouraging data shows that primary teacher vacancies have more than halved compared with the same time last year, and overall vacancy rates are now less than one per cent of all teaching posts. Secondary vacancies have also fallen, with advertised teacher vacancies reported at their lowest level since 2016.

“We have worked hard to make teaching an attractive career with the recent pay deal, increasing autonomy and expanding development opportunities in the classroom. We have increased routes into teaching and our STEM Bursary programme for career changers is making it easier than ever to start a career in teaching.”