EDUCATION Secretary, John Swinney has unveiled plans to grant a bursary of £20,000 to attract career changers and those with experience in the field to retrain as STEM teachers.
A fantastic idea. This policy decision is one to be welcomed, indeed it was one that the Scottish Conservatives first put forward last year.
Scotland has 4,000 fewer teachers than it did when the SNP came to power over a decade ago, couple that with cuts in real terms to spending on education and only now they are attempting to remedy their catalogue of failings.
Fife is one of many local authorities across Scotland that has seen insufficient teaching staff to meet demand.
At the beginning of the school year Lochgelly High School pupils were left with no Computing teacher and the youngsters being informed they would need to recourse subject at a critical point in their education.
This meant those who had chosen to study at National and Higher level were no longer able to continue and in turn meaning it could affect their being able to apply for the college or university course they were seeking.
Only last month Trinity Academy in Edinburgh, was added to the growing list of schools facing a crisis in teacher recruitment, by having to appeal directly to parents to help find two Maths teachers. I feel this is down to the Scottish Government failing to invest properly in education and to have provided more incentives including better pay for teachers.
We have seen Scotland tumble down the PISA international scores in both literacy and numeracy and only 1 in 10 children from deprived areas are now going onto university. Currently children from affluent backgrounds are seven times more likely to achieve 3 “A” Higher passes than who from deprived backgrounds, all this from a Scottish Government that claims education to be its number one priority.
Today it would be rare to find a school in Fife that does not rely on supply staff to plug the gap in teacher shortages, particularly in the STEM subjects. This new initiative is to be welcomed but the overall approach to training, recruitment and retention must be examined. Young people have one opportunity at education, Government has a responsibility to get that right.
COUNCILLOR KATHLEEN LESLIE,
Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here