Question reference: S6W-26784
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported failure to recruit target numbers of student teachers in languages.
Answer
This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.
This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.
Modern languages are classified as a priority subject for ITE intakes by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Both the Scottish Government and SFC have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.