MSP calls for more help for South Ayrshire teachers

Dec 4 2009 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THE GOVERNMENT must help newly qualified teachers find work in South Ayrshire.

That’s the view this week of MSP John Scott. For he raised the issue with former education secretary Fiona Hyslop during question time in the Scottish Parliament.

The MSP for Ayr spoke out after learning that just four out of 65 new teachers landed full-time posts in South Ayrshire.

He said: “Over recent years I have been contacted by many newly qualified teachers who have struggled to find permanent full-time work.

“As a result I have been in regular contact with successive education ministers urging them to take action to ease the problems being faced by teachers seeking permanent jobs.

“I took the opportunity of again raising the matter in the Scottish Parliament this week.

“The Scottish Government’s approach is to encourage local councils to borrow millions of pounds in order to fund a policy of early retirement from teaching.

“The problem is that there is no new money to support this scheme, and no council is in a position to take on a substantial level of additional debt at a time when public service budgets are already being severely squeezed.

“Newly qualified teachers deserve better than this and it is up to the government to bring forward a broader set of proposals to help them into permanent full-time teaching posts.”