HARD LESSON FOR TRAINEE TEACHERS

Scottish Funding Council figures have revealed the number of teacher training places will fall by 40 per cent from 3,857 in 2009/10 to 2,307 next year.

Trainee primary teaching will bear the brunt of the cuts, with the number of places being slashed by more than half.

The reduction in intake has been announced as hundreds of newly-qualified teachers struggle to find a job. Only one in seven probationers had secured a full-time post.

But student leaders yesterday warned short-term budget cuts risked causing long-term damage to the profession. NUS Scotland president Liam Burns said: “Nobody wants to see students study for four years on a false hope only to find that at the end of all that hard work, there simply aren’t any jobs. However, Scotland can’t carry on with this boom and bust method of training.”

Labour education spokesman Des McNulty accused the SNP Government of “mismanagement” of the education system, adding that nearly a quarter of teachers are 56 or over. He said: “This will remove opportunities for young people who want to make up the next generation of educators.”

The number of teachers has fallen by 2,000 from 53,000 since the SNP came to power. Education Secretary Mike Russell said: “We took the decision to reduce student intakes to deal with unemployment. By reducing student numbers we can create more jobs for those already qualified.”