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Updated: Friday, November 27, 2009 | Printer Friendly Version | |

Friday 27 November 2009

TEACHER NUMBERS - EIS RESPONSE

Commenting on the latest official Government Statistics on the number of teachers employed in Scotland's schools, EIS General Secretary Ronnie Smith said:

"Figures on the number of teachers employed in our schools make bleak reading for everyone with an interest in Scottish education. We have again seen an acceleration in the reductions of the number of teachers employed in our schools, with 1,348 fewer teachers across Scotland as a whole. Following on from a cut of 975 the previous year, it is clear that cuts in teacher numbers are an emerging crisis for Scottish education.

Local Authorities and the Scottish Government are failing to meet their obligations to our schools, pupils and teachers. These drastic cuts in teacher numbers are leading to larger class sizes, reducing the individual teacher attention for every pupil, and damaging opportunities for our young people. These drastic cuts in teacher numbers are also threatening the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence, which simply cannot be delivered in an environment of continuing cuts to education budgets and drastic reductions in teacher numbers.

It is not acceptable for the Scottish Government and Local Authorities to continue to blame each other and attempt to wash their hands of responsibility. We are reaching crisis point, and without urgent and sustained action at both Scottish Government and Local Authority level, the damage to our education system and to our children's futures could be catastrophic."