WANTED: 52 teachers for North-east schools
Council recruits 164 probation staff
52 teachers for N-east schools
Published:
SCHOOLS across the North-east have more than 50 teaching spaces to fill for the next term.
Aberdeenshire Council has found many of its teachers are retiring this summer.
But the state of staffing in education in the region is looking better than this time last year.
Nearly 400 new teachers have started over the last 12 months.
And more than 150 new-starts are ready to begin life as teachers in Aberdeenshire in the coming term.
The council’s education department is benefiting from a recruitment drive.
But education boss Bruce Robertson said specialist areas are still struggling to attract staff.
At the height of recruitment problems there were 90 vacancies in Aberdeenshire – 79 in secondary and 11 in primary.
This year there are 52 vacancies and 164 probation teachers ready to start work. In Aberdeen there are six vacancies for teachers, all for secondary schools.
“There are vacancies with people moving on, being promoted and retiring,” said Mr Robertson. “We are also increasing staffing levels in nursery and early years.
“In August we have the largest ever group of probationary teachers coming. We have 103 primary and 61 secondary teachers arriving into Aberdeenshire schools.”
Over the last 15 months Mr Robertson and the education team have targeted teachers overseas and offered a £6,000 relocation package.
Since August the authority has recruited 193 primary teachers and 180 secondary teachers.
But the education director said the department can never relax.
“One issue is the demographics of the staff room,” he said.
“Figures suggest that about 50% of Scotland’s teachers are going to retire in the next eight years.
“We really need to have a succession planning policy in place in Aberdeenshire to address that.”
Maths, physics and home economics remain problem subjects for recruiting.
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