
Scale of teacher crisis laid bare as school waits years for replacement
Scottish Liberal Democrats data reveals over 1,350 teaching posts in Scotland were readvertised in the last two years, including a primary school teacher position on Papa Westray, Orkney, vacant since March 2019.
Moray Council readvertised 252 teaching roles, Aberdeen 206, Shetland 90, Argyll and Bute 70, Highland Council 62, and Dumfries and Galloway 61.
Western Isles Council advertised a PE teacher role nine times, while a home economics teacher post in Aberdeen was advertised six times.
Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie calls for action to make teaching more attractive, suggesting three-year packages for probationer teachers and teacher premiums for those in schools with the greatest need.
Cosla acknowledges recruitment challenges in remote areas and specific subjects, while the Scottish Government highlights increased teacher numbers and ongoing efforts to support the profession, including £186.5 million in funding for councils to increase teacher numbers.
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The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ministers should apologise to oil and gas workers who have lost jobs, Tories say
The Government should apologise to oil and gas workers who have lost their jobs since Labour came to power, the Conservatives have said. Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said job losses and closures had already taken place as part of the planned switch to more environmentally friendly energy sources. He said 3,000 had already been cut since Labour came to power. He referred to a variety of projected job loss figures, including the Robert Gordon University in Scotland predicting 400 jobs would go every fortnight. Meanwhile energy minister Sarah Jones said oil and gas 'were not the jobs of the future'. Mr Bowie said: '(Offshore Energies UK) predicting 42,000 job losses unless there is significant policy change. 'The Just Transition Commission warning 120,000 jobs may go by 2030, and no prospect of a just transition because the supply-chain are just upping sticks and moving overseas.' If borne out figures produced by the university, based in Aberdeen – a city long linked to the oil and gas industry – would be the equivalent to job losses from the Grangemouth refinery closing every two weeks. Ms Jones replied: 'The North Sea will continue to play an important role for years to come, which is why we are keeping open existing fields for their lifetime. 'The truth is, this is a declining base, and (Mr Bowie) knows this. This is not where the jobs of the future are going to be. The jobs of the future are in the clean energy transition, which we are investing in at pace.' Ministers were also asked by MPs about the future of the Rosebank oil and gas field near the Shetland Islands, off the north-east coast of Scotland. The consent to develop it was declared unlawful by the courts in November 2024. Energy minister Michael Shanks said his department planned to publish guidance on emissions potentially created by Rosebank. Mr Bowie asked: 'In the dim and distant past in 2023, the secretary of state described the Rosebank oil field as a colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism. Does he still agree?' Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'As with any application, there's a process my department will go through and we'll look through any applications in a fair and objective way.' Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan in Aberdeenshire, Harriet Cross asked why the Government had not met Cabinet Office targets to respond to a consultation on the guidance for emissions from offshore oil and gas projects. The Government says a response should be published within 12 weeks, but it is now 22 weeks since it closed on January 8. Ms Cross said: 'When will the department publish the guidance? Because it is causing delays to projects in the North Sea today.' Ms Shanks replied: 'It's a very complex issue as I'm sure she'll understand. We will publish the response and indeed the process that will now be able to be put into place as soon as possible, and then developers that wish to reapply will be able to do so.' Labour MP Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth), who has been a vocal critic of the Government's response to Grangemouth's closure asked if the Government would take an ownership stake in any green energy infrastructure. Referring to the Acorn carbon capture and storage scheme north of the border, Mr Leishman said: 'Acorn would go some way to reindustrialising areas of Scotland and that is much needed. 'And I welcomed the Government committing £200 million from the national wealth fund for future industry at Grangemouth in my constituency.' He continued: 'In order to avoid us again being in a precarious position of private capital of foreign government ownership dictating our future energy industries, does the Government plan on taking any ownership stake in the industries that are going to be coming at Grangemouth?' Energy minister Sarah Jones replied: 'We have lost thousands of jobs under the previous government whether it's in ceramics, whether it's in chemicals, whether it's in steel. 'And the previous government saw foundational industries really through the rear-view mirror, but we know they're going to forge our future and that's why we're rushing to get to clean energy by 2030, so we can bring those prices down.'


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Aberdeen rapid transit scheme costs could hit £323m
A proposed new tram-style bus system for Aberdeen could cost as much as £323m, according to a new is hoped Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) would run on two routes linking key destinations in and around the projected price of the project has more than doubled since initial investigations in 2021 - due to increased cost pressures, including a huge rise in construction on Aberdeen's net zero, environment and transport committee voted to move forward with engagement on the scheme and officers will report back on progress next year. It had been initially anticipated the project would cost £150m to implement. Now four options have been outlined by transport partnership Nestrans ranging from £167m to £323m. The lower cost option would require less new infrastructure, while the highest cost option would see the project in a fuller form including more construction and integrated cycling provision. Funding for the project remains unclear but sources such as a Scottish government transport scheme, local authority funding, and cash through the Aberdeen City Region Deal have been identified as options. The council said it was investigating where it could get the money from, including from the UK government. It is hoped ART could use tram-style vehicles which would travel along designated corridors, similar to Belfast's Glider buses. It is expected 36 of these electric vehicles would need to be purchased at an anticipated cost of about £ were raised during Tuesday's committee meeting about the value for money of the plans. Independent councillor Alex Nicoll said based on data in the report which suggested the scheme would bring in an extra 8,900 public transport users in the city, the project could cost more than £36,000 per extra passenger. He added: "We are speaking about £3.4m being committed by the council so far, without even a shovel in the ground. "We need to think about what we can actually deliver here, this council cannot afford it and it is that simple."However, project lead Kirsty Chalmers insisted bringing ART in would be good value for money. She said: "One of the reasons we are looking into this is the better value of it, instead of implementing light rail for example. "The ART project covers a number of regionally-important destinations and it is about creating choice and it is about it integrating with the bus and rail networks as well."


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
SNP minister demands higher immigration to Scotland as she urges PM to help Holyrood tackle country's ageing population
An SNP minister today demanded changes to the immigration system to allow more people to come to Scotland to counter the country's ageing population. Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart reiterated the Scottish Government's call for PM Sir Keir Starmer to ditch a 'one-size fits all approach' to immigration to the UK. It came after figures released by the National Records of Scotland showed 11,431 children were born between January and March of this year. This was 3.9 per cent lower than the average for the first quarter of the year. In the same period, the number of deaths was also lower than expected, with 16,721 recorded. This was 7.7 per cent lower than the 18,123 deaths anticipated in the first quarter. Mrs Stewart said: 'The latest statistics highlight what we already know, that without migration, Scotland's working age population will fall as deaths continue to outnumber births. 'Positive net migration is essential for supporting the size of the working-age population in Scotland, which is crucial for economic growth, public service planning, and community cohesion.' Sir Keir has repeatedly promised to cut both legal and illegal migration to the UK since becoming PM. But Mrs Stewart said a different approach was needed for Scotland. 'We need talented and committed people from across the world to live, work and study here without excessive barriers,' she added. 'A one-size fits all approach to immigration fails to meet the needs of Scotland and much of the UK.' Last month, the PM announced plans to revamp the UK's immigration system. This included scrapping care visas, extending the time people have to be in the UK before they can apply for settled status, and reducing the length of time graduates can stay in the country after they graduate. The Scottish Government has long called for a more liberal immigration system north of the border and Mrs Stewart said she was 'deeply disappointed' by Sir Keir. 'That is why we are calling on the UK Government to deliver changes to the immigration system that meets the distinct needs of our economy and population, in particular our rural and island communities,' she added.