By Andrew Argo, education reporter

THOUSANDS OF teaching graduates are making their mark in Scottish classrooms, the Scottish Executive said yesterday, but the SNP maintained there was still a shortage of teachers.

The Executive announced that as part of the drive to boost teacher numbers at a time of falling school rolls, 2770 newly-qualified staff are starting their teaching careers this month.

Meanwhile, the latest vacancy statistics counted in February show only 132 primary posts and 246 secondary posts were vacant for more than three months.

Angus Council had no teacher vacancies unfilled for longer than three months in its primary and secondary schools but 41 probationer teachers due to start in its primaries and 28 in its secondaries this month.

Dundee had 27 primary and 28 secondary vacancies, but 18 probationers starting in primary schools and 16 in secondary schools.

In Fife there were eight and four vacancies but 80 probationers starting in primaries and 77 in secondaries.

Perth and Kinross had one primary and five secondary vacancies but 41 probationers starting in primaries and 28 in secondaries.

Speaking in advance of a visit to Dundee, Education Minister Peter Peacock said, “Great teachers make lasting differences to children's lives. That’s why we’re committed to attracting increasing numbers of high-quality teachers into the profession, enabling us to cut class sizes and target resources where we believe they can make the most difference.

“Despite the fact that school rolls are falling dramatically, we’re increasing the number of teachers in our classroom—and there’s an army of new recruits waiting in the wings, ready to bring their skills and expertise into schools.

“Next year, even more students will start their training and we’re well on track to deliver our commitment of 53,000 teachers by 2007. In addition, vacancy rates remain low—just 439 posts have been vacant for three months or more, in a workforce of 51,287.”

Scotland has 51,287 full-time equivalent school-based teachers. The Executive is committed to increasing teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007. The extra teachers will be used to cut class sizes in P1 to a maximum of 25 and for maths and English in S1/2 to a maximum of 20.

The number of students on full-time Post Graduate Certificate of Education courses next year will increase even further to 3350. Taking into account graduates from Bachelor of Education courses, around 4000 probationary teachers are expected to enter our classrooms in 2006.

SNP education and lifelong learning spokeswoman Fiona Hyslop warned that pupils faced being left without teachers after the Executive failed to meet a key Labour election pledge on recruitment.

Ms Hyslop said she was commenting after an Executive publication revealed that since 2003, when Labour pledged to cut the sizes of maths and English classes in S1 and S2, vacancies for English teachers have trebled while vacancies for maths teachers have doubled.

“Pupils are set to lose out as the Executive’s flagship education policy looks set to flounder. Cutting class sizes in English and maths in S1-S2 was one of Labour’s top five election pledges in 2003, yet two years on vacancies for English teachers have trebled, while vacancies for maths teachers have doubled,” she stated.

“The end result is continuing teacher shortages, constant streams of supply teachers disrupting education and staff shortages putting pressures on the school curriculum, which affects choice and timetabling in schools.

“As schools prepare to begin a new term, situations such as the one in Aberdeen, where parents of one school received letters warning them that children may be sent home because of teacher shortages, are becoming more possible.”

She added, “With 40% of teachers due to retire in the next 10 years, the Executive is treating this issue with worrying complacency. Head teachers have to pick up the pieces, teachers have to take the strain and pupils who deserve the best education they can get are the ones who could lose out.”

She said the implementation of the McCrone settlement, which was intended to deliver more teachers, should be reviewed.

“This involves hundred of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and so we must ascertain why we still have problems in teacher recruitment and retention.”