A staffing crisis at John Swinney’s local school has forced the head to ask PARENTS to help teach maths.
And in a further embarrassment for the Education Secretary, Blairgowrie High School head teacher Bev Leslie told mums and dads that her school’s problems were “not untypical in Scottish education at present”.
Kids at Blairgowrie are facing maths exams in less than eight weeks.
Mrs Leslie told parents in a letter that one teacher had moved to another school and another was now “absent”.
She said she hoped to interview for one new teacher this month and another new recruit was expected in August.
(Photo: JOHN JEFFAY)
But she appealed to “any parents with a maths or related degree” who were “interested in supporting our pupils in the short term”.
Mrs Leslie added: “This is a highly unusual request. However, I am sure you will appreciate, given the current circumstances, we are looking at creative short-term measures.”
She also revealed that a teaching job in the school’s music department has been re-advertised and a staff member is working extra days teaching English until a new teacher is recruited.
Scottish Labour claimed last month that schools had lost 4000 teaching staff since the SNP came to power in 2007, including 826 science and maths teachers.
(Photo: Twitter)
They say council budgets have been cut by £1.5billion since 2011.
Swinney announced an extra £3million in February to help train 371 extra new teachers. He admitted councils had faced “challenges” with recruitment.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser claimed Swinney had to take responsibility for the problems at Blairgowrie.
He said: “Many pupils will be facing vital exams in a few weeks without the support they need.
“It really is a sign of desperation that the school is asking for parents to help oversee classes – on no level can this be satisfactory.”
The Scottish Government said teacher numbers in classrooms nationwide were up by 253 this year, and the number of training places was being increased for the sixth year in a row.