More than 200 Scottish schools have vacancies as pupils return from summer break

More than 200 Scottish schools have vacancies for teachers and classroom support staff as pupils return after the summer holidays, according to figures  that disclosed the full scale of their recruitment crisis.

The Scottish Tories unveiled research showing 231 schools are advertising for staff, including some that have multiple vacancies.

This means nearly one in ten schools will start the 2018/19 academic year this month trying to plug holes in their teaching or support workforce.

Among the vacancies are for four headteachers at primary schools in Edinburgh. English and maths teachers in particular appear to be in short supply across the country.

In the Perthshire constituency of John Swinney, the Education Minister, Perth Grammar is searching for a maths teacher.

The Scottish Conservatives

The Conservatives said the figures were "unacceptable" and challenged the SNP to explain "why it has allowed this chaotic situation to emerge."

They followed research published earlier this month showing there are 670 teacher vacancies across Scotland.

Among the local authorities facing the most acute shortages are the three in the North East - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.

It also emerged that council spending on education has fallen by £400 million since 2010 as SNP ministers slashed local authority budgets.

Although teacher numbers have started to increase again, there are still around 3,500 fewer than when the Nationalists came to power in 2007.

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: "It’s unacceptable that, just as schools are preparing to go back, hundreds are still advertising for staff.

“It will be extremely difficult for headteachers to get ready for the year ahead if they don’t have the right people in place.

“This is hardly going to reverse the fortunes of Scotland’s schools as they slip down global league tables."

A breakdown of the schools with vacancies showed 24 are in Aberdeen, including seven that are looking for both teachers and support staff.

Thirty schools in neighbouring Aberdeenshire have at least one vacancy, with Westhill Academy and Turriff Academy among those searching for maths teachers. 

Twenty-one schools in Edinburgh are searching for staff, including Boroughmuir High, one of the capital's best performing secondaries.

As well as Perth Grammar, Crieff High and Kinross High schools are also looking for maths teachers in Perthshire.

The Scottish Government has proposed a series of fast-track teaching options to get new staff into schools more quickly.

Ministers have also offered bursaries to those wanting to switch career and teach in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.

But teaching unions have argued the main problem is pay and conditions, with increasing workload putting off recruits at a time when salaries have declined in real terms.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have invested £88 million in 2017, resulting in 543 more teachers than last year – the second year in a row that numbers have increased, in response to the challenges filling vacancies in some areas.

“Our ambitious reform agenda is aimed at making teaching an attractive career choice with varied opportunities to develop."