The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Teachers in Scotland 2005

28/03/2006

The latest data on teachers and support staff in publicly funded schools in Scotland, mainly derived from the latest annual staff census in September 2005, is published today.

The main points are:

• The total number of teachers based in primary, secondary and special schools was 50,517, which is 963 more than in 2004. Numbers may be affected by changes in whether local authorities record visiting specialists as school-based or centrally employed. One local authority also reported an undercount in their 2004 figure.

• There were also an estimated 1,662 teachers in the pre-school sector, making a total of 52,179 teachers based in schools and pre-schools.

• There were a further 1,452 centrally employed visiting specialists and peripatetic teachers involved in similar roles but not based in schools. This is a decrease of 253 from 2004 and 153 from the 2003 figure.

• Overall therefore there has been an increase of 710 teachers from 2004 and an increase of 1,053 since 2003. Most of the additional teachers necessary to meet the Executive's commitment of 53,000 teachers by 2007 are being trained currently or in 2006/07.

• There were a further 22,356 school based staff and 2,396 centrally employed staff identified in the staff census as providing support to the education system, an increase of four per cent and five per cent respectively.

• There were 22,873 teachers in primary schools (22,577 in 2004), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 17.1 (17.6 in 2004). 93 per cent of teachers were female. Twelve per cent were part time.

• There were 25,613 teachers in secondary schools (24,984 in 2004), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 12.3 (12.7 in 2004). 59 per cent of teachers were female. Seven per cent were part time.
• There were 2,031 teachers in special schools (1,993 in 2004), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 3.5 (3.7 in 2004). 82 per cent of teachers were female. Twelve per cent were part time.

• While the average (mean) age of teachers fell slightly to just below 44 there was an increase in the proportion of teachers aged 55 or over (17 per cent compared to 16 per cent in 2004). The age profile shows a major peak in the early fifties, but with level numbers in the twenties and thirties.
• The proportion of teachers who were male has dropped from 30 per cent in 1996 to 25 per cent in 2005, stable with last year's figure. In promoted posts the proportion who were male was 37 per cent (down from 39 per cent in 2004), with the figure being 30 per cent for head teachers and deputes (down from 31 per cent in 2004).

• In primary schools there were 117 teachers whose main subject was physical education, 86 whose main subject was music and 57 whose main subject was art & design. There were 593 who gave learning support as their main subject, and 291 gave SEN related subjects, up from 532 and 282 respectively.

• In secondary schools, the largest numbers of teachers were in English (2,620) and maths (2,506), increases of four per cent and five per cent respectively. Technical education was the subject with the highest proportion of male teachers (89 per cent), with home economics being nearly all female teachers. Music, drama and physical education teachers had the youngest age profiles, with special needs teachers being on average the oldest.

• Where ethnic background data was given, 0.9 per cent of teachers were from minority ethnic groups, lower than in the general population. This analysis may also be affected by the five per cent of teachers for whom ethnic background was not reported.

• The proportion of teachers from minority ethnic groups was highest in secondary schools (1.1 per cent). The proportions were similar in special schools (0.8 per cent) and primary schools (0.6 per cent). In promoted posts the proportion was 0.4 per cent, though the minority ethnic group teachers have not, on average, been in the workforce for as long as white teachers.

• There were 115 teachers currently teaching Gaelic language, 207 providing Gaelic medium education (203 in 2004), and 379 teachers reported being able to teach through the medium of Gaelic (365 in 2004).

• There were 2,730 teachers in the probation induction scheme (2,074 in 2004), of which 1,395 were in primary schools and 1,335 were in secondary schools.

• There were 2,849 students who graduated from initial teacher training in 2005 (compared to 2,285 in 2004). In primary, the proportion graduating through PGCE has increased from 31 per cent in 1998 to 61 per cent in 200

This is the third full annual staff census. Comparison of figures from these full censuses with data prior to 2003 may therefore be affected by the change in collection method.

Unless clearly stated as headcount, figures are always full-time equivalent.