Question reference: S6W-19189
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 15 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Aberdeenshire Council reportedly received 18 out of the 66 probationary secondary teachers requested, and for what reason none of the teachers received were metalwork or woodwork teachers.
Answer
Probationary teachers are allocated places on the Teacher Induction Scheme based on their subject and their ranked preference of five local authority areas. An insufficient number of probationary teachers chose Aberdeenshire Council for their probationary year and, therefore, Aberdeenshire Council did not receive the number of probationary secondary teachers that they requested.
Through the Teacher Induction Scheme probationary teachers can receive a Preference Waiver Payment of up to £8,000, if they are willing to complete their probation anywhere in Scotland, including in Aberdeenshire.
Whist we recognise there is a challenge around the recruitment of teachers in certain geographical areas and in certain subjects, we cannot direct teachers where to undertake their probation or where to work.