FINNIE- LOSS OF TEACHERS UNACCEPTABLE

Written by Ross Finnie on Tue 24th Mar 2009

FINNIE- LOSS OF TEACHERS UNACCEPTABLE

West of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Ross Finnie has slammed the Education Secretary for the loss of almost 1000 teachers in a year.

The numbers of teachers in Scotland's public funded schools have fallen by almost 1000 new government figures have revealed. The number working at pre-school, primary, secondary and special schools, or visiting specialists in 2008 was 53,584, 975 fewer than in 2007. In East Renfrewshire the number of teachers working at publicly funded schools and pre-school in 2008 was 1206 a fall of 49 teachers in a year.

Commenting Mr Finnie said:

"The loss of 49 teachers in East Renfrewshire in a year is unacceptable.

"The people of the West of Scotland are tired of the Education Secretary's excuses. The Education Secretary was quick to take the credit for extra teachers when she took office. Will she now be as quick to take credit for the plummeting number of teachers in the West of Scotland?

"The Education Secretary has presided over a record slump in teacher numbers which makes her claims to reduce class sizes even more unbelievable."

Ends

Notes to Editors

Full copy of the figures can be found online at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/teacher-2008