Thanks to £80 million of additional SNP Government investment to help recruitment for the safe re-opening of schools across Scotland, North Ayrshire Council (NAC) has been able to recruit 35 more teachers over the past few months.
Meanwhile, figures from the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre showed that the number of newly-qualified teachers going straight into employment has risen by nearly 30% under the SNP.
Analysis also revealed that the number of teachers in Scotland under the age of 45 has risen to 61.5% of the workforce; a significant increase since 2009, when the majority of teachers were over 45.
Kenneth Gibson MSP, who serves on the Education and Skills Committee, welcomed the new teachers, saying:
“In the middle of a global pandemic, it’s absolutely vital that local authorities are fully supported to ensure that our schools remain safe for pupils, teachers and staff.
“Thanks to significant investment from the SNP Government this summer, we now have 35 more teachers in North Ayrshire’s schools who will bring much needed resilience to our education system and help compensate for the loss of learning suffered by pupils during lockdown.
“The work of our teachers do is invaluable at the best of times. During this pandemic they have gone above and beyond to ensure continuity and quality of education for young people across North Ayrshire.”
ENDS
