As pupils in the Scottish Borders prepare to break up for the festive period, new statistics show that class sizes in the Borders are at their highest levels with a particular problem in primary schools.
The Scottish Government’s Summary Statistics for Schools, published today, show that there is a severe shortage of teachers in the Scottish Borders
The figures show since 2010, teacher numbers in the Borders have dropped by 77, including 46 fewer primary school teachers. They also show that the average number of pupils per teacher was 13.8 in 2016, up from 13.2 in 2011.
Most surprisingly, the percentage of P1-P3 pupils in class sizes of 18 or fewer now stands at a record low of 10%, down from 30% in 2010. In 2007, the SNP promised to cut class sizes between P1 and P3 to 18 or less.
Local MSP John Lamont, who has been warning about the fall in teacher numbers for a number of years, said the figures once again show how parents and pupils are being let down by the SNP Government.
John Lamont MSP said: “These annual figures once again show a fall in primary school numbers and a rise in class sizes. We are now in a situation where only 1 in 10 of the youngest primary pupils are in classes of the size the SNP promised to parents.
“The first few years of education are so important for youngsters, particularly those from more deprived backgrounds which is why it is important to have sufficient staffing. The Scottish Government has completely failed to live up to it's promises on this.
“Instead, classes in the Borders are getting bigger as teacher numbers are falling. Teachers in the Borders are working really hard but they are being let down by a failure to recruit and appoint enough staff.
John added: “I’ve been warning about this for several years. Parents will be wondering how many years of poor statistics need to go by before the SNP takes action on this important issue.”