The SNP Government has announced an additional £50 million investment to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants across North Ayrshire and Scotland in the next academic year.
This extra £50 million will support COVID-19 education recovery as schools return to full time face-to-face learning.
It comes on top of the £65.5 million of permanent funding each year allocated North Ayrshire Council and other local authorities from 2022/23, to help remove barriers to councils employing additional staff on permanent contracts to help meet the local needs of children and young people.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP said:
“Our vision for COVID recovery and our priorities for Scottish education remain unchanged. Recruiting more permanent staff is a cornerstone of recovery, alongside the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff intensified support for reducing inequity, and enabling the highest quality of learning and teaching.
“The £50 million funding will allow councils to recruit more teachers and pupil support assistants next year. Looking further ahead, the additional £65 million annual funding delivered as part of the local government settlement will support councils to recruit these additional staff on permanent contracts.”
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“Education remains a priority for this SNP Government. This is why it invested £190 million to recruit 2,700 additional teachers and support staff since the pandemic began.
“The commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and pupil support assistants during this Parliament is over and above those already recruited.
“This funding will provide NAC with the certainty it needs to continue to plan its future permanent workforce requirements.”
Local authorities will report regularly on staff recruited using this funding, including employment status details.
The all-party Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) welcomed the extra funding.
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