EXCLUSIVE: No jobs at all for newly-qualified Dundee primary teachers next year

Not a single primary school teacher will be recruited by Dundee City Council next year, a leaked email has revealed.

Education manager Pamela Nesbitt wrote to schools saying the council does not anticipate advertising any new roles in the city’s primary schools next session.

Only casual supply staff will be recruited from among the newly-qualified teachers who have just completed their probationary year in Dundee.

It means those who trained in the city will have to find employment in other local authorities if they wish to work full-time.

Email spells out plan

In the email, seen by The Courier, Ms Nesbitt tells school staff: “With current projections, we are not currently anticipating advertising for any permanent or temporary posts for next session within the primary sector.”

The pause on recruitment means vacancies created as a result of staff retiring or leaving the profession will not be filled.

It comes after Dundee City Council set its annual budget, balanced on the back of a £24 million funding blackhole.

This included a saving of £1.9m by cutting the number of teachers employed in the city’s schools by 32.

As of September 2023, Dundee had a total of 1,431 teachers working across primary and secondary schools.

The Scottish Government expects Dundee City Council to maintain at least 1,395.

Dundee-based Labour MSP Michael Marra blamed the cuts on the Scottish Government.

He said: “The SNP’s incompetent handling of education and these chaotic cuts to teacher numbers are a betrayal of our children, our teaching workforce and the longer-term sustainability of our schools.”

‘Plan for future in Australia, not Dundee’

The North East regional MSP also hit out at finance secretary Shona Robison, who represents Dundee East.

Mr Marra added: “Shona Robison told parliament last week that maintaining teacher numbers was vital for the life chances of the most vulnerable pupils.

“Yet the budget she has passed now sees SNP council administrations making deep cuts in teacher numbers.

“For Dundee this comes on the back of the SNP’s previous cuts to attainment funding for the most vulnerable young people.

He added: “I have now spoken with young teachers who are planning their futures in Australia rather than Dundee. That is a tragedy which we will all come to regret.”

A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “The number of permanent and temporary teaching posts available, as with all councils across Scotland, will vary from year to year.

“We are not currently anticipating advertising for any permanent or temporary posts for Primary Teachers for the next academic session.”