Number of teachers at Renfrewshire high schools falls

There were 859 teachers at publicly-funded high schools in the area back in 2008 but, by last year, that total had slumped to 759.

Now concerns have been raised by the Scottish Conservatives over what impact the dwindling numbers are having on children’s education.

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Liz Smith, the party’s shadow education secretary, said: “Parents will be very angry when they see this evidence of the decline in teacher numbers.

"Young people in our classrooms are losing out on vital education.”

Despite the drop in teacher numbers, the teacher-to-pupil ratio in Renfrewshire has remained at a steady level over the last decade.

Last year, there was one teacher for every 13 pupils.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “Ensuring our young people receive a high-quality education is our priority and we strive to give all pupils the same opportunities, regardless of their background.

“We are continually recruiting new teaching staff as we aim to develop the best education workforce in Scotland and provide the best teaching environment possible for our staff and pupils.

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“We’ve seen a decrease of more than 1,000 pupils since 2008, which affects the number of teachers required in our secondary schools, but we continue to ensure pupils have the correct support and guidance they need to achieve.

“We recently became the first local authority in Scotland to be rated ‘excellent’ for our progress in improving learning, raising attainment and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap, highlighting the hard work that is ongoing in our schools to improve the life chances of our children and young people and we will continue to work hard to ensure all our pupils reach positive destinations.”

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