Highland Council bid to tackle supply teacher shortage
Highland Council has launched a campaign to tackle the shortage of supply teachers in the strath and the wider region.
The council’s education service said it is experiencing the same nationwide shortage of staff to cover teacher absences.
They said it is causing increasing difficulties for schools and staff in every part of the Highlands.
Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of Highland Council’s Adult and Children Services Committee, said: “We urgently need additional supply teachers across the whole of The Highland Council area, in urban and rural schools, primary and secondary and across all subjects.
"Unfortunately we recently had to send pupils at a small rural school home for an afternoon as it was not possible to source a supply teacher to provide cover.”
He added: “Head teachers are increasingly spending more of their time trying to source supply teachers and failing to secure them.
"This clearly takes them away from their roles of managing their schools and adds greatly to the pressures which they are under.
"We would urge anyone interested in becoming or returning to supply teaching to contact the council.”
The council is interested in hearing from teachers across all geographic areas who may be willing to consider joining the Highland Council supply teacher lists.
Primary and secondary teachers, including those able to teach through the medium of Gaelic, are urgently needed.
Anyone interested in finding out more should contact the Education, Culture and Sport Service tel: 01463 702 734 / 735 e-mail: ECSStaffing.Teaching@highland.gov.uk or apply at www.myjobscotland.gov.uk
