The Scottish government yesterday (Tuesday 14 December) published a raft of statistics on pupils and teachers in state schools. Emma Seith summarises what you need to know:
School exclusions
Just three pupils were permanently excluded from Scottish schools in 2018-19 leaving little room to cut numbers further - but new figures show that last year (2020-21) just one pupil was asked to leave their school and not return.
Concerns had been raised that temporary exclusions might rise because of Covid, not least because of the impact of the pandemic on pupils’ mental health. However, another significant drop in temporary exclusions was recorded last year, with cases falling from 14,987 in 2018-19 to 8,322 in 2020-21 - a drop of 6,665.
Last year there were 11.9 cases of exclusion per 1,000 pupils in Scotland, against 21.7 in 2018-19. However, disadvantaged pupils and those with additional support needs (ASN) are still much more likely to be excluded - although when it comes to the former group, the association has lessened.
However, it should be noted that the figures come with a health warning - the report says some of the decrease in cases is likely “due to the pandemic limiting the time pupils were in school”.
Teacher numbers and the pupil-teacher ratio
Teacher numbers have risen by over 2,000 since the pandemic began, going from 52,247 in 2019 to 54,285 this year (last year that figure was 53,400). The pupil-teacher ratio has also improved - it hit its lowest recorded level of 13.2 this year since 2008 (last year the pupil-teacher ratio was 13.3). In primary, the pupil-teacher ratio has gone from 16.7 in 2015 to 15.1 this year.
However, in secondary the pupil-teacher ratio was 12.2 in 2005 and 12.4 this year and, in six out of 32 Scottish councils, the pupil-teacher ratio across all their schools increased between 2020 and 2021. Also, in four authorities, teacher numbers fell by up to 2 per cent between last year and this year.
Other figures show the rise in teacher numbers and the national improvement in the teacher-pupil ratio is having little or no impact on primary class sizes. And the proportion of new teachers in employment in the year following the Teacher Induction Scheme decreased to 80 per cent this year - its lowest level since the 2013-14 cohort.
Class sizes
The average class size in primary is 23.2 this year - up from 23.1 last year, but down on 23.5 in 2019. When the SNP came to power in 2007 one of their pledges that was never realised was to lower class sizes in P1 to P3 to 18 - this year 12.5 per cent of P1 to P3 pupils are in classes of 18 or fewer, down from 14 per cent the previous year but up from 12.3 per cent in 2019.
The majority of P1 to P3 pupils are taught in classes of 19 to 25, but almost a quarter are taught in class sizes of 26 or more (24.5 per cent, up slightly from 24.4 per cent in 2020).
New teachers’ employment prospects
The percentage of new teachers employed in state schools in the first year following the Teacher Induction Scheme - which guarantees a post in a school for one year after successful competition of initial teacher education - has decreased to 80 per cent for the most recent cohort (2020-21), from 85 per cent for the previous cohort. This is the lowest rate since the 2013-14 cohort and new teachers have been vocal about their struggles to find work - as well as the impact temporary contracts are having on their ability to secure mortgages and start a family.
The majority of the new teachers who found work this year were employed on temporary full-time contracts (42 per cent), followed by permanent full-time contracts (31 per cent). A further 7 per cent secured part-time work, but one in five (20 per cent) selected the “other” category. That could mean they are carrying out supply or working in the independent sector - but it could also mean they are unemployed or have left teaching.
Until last year, most new teachers secured full-time permanent work in their first year as fully qualified teachers. For example, almost half (48 per cent) of the 2018-19 probationer cohort secured full-time permanent contracts, with 30 per cent on temporary full-time contracts. A total of 7 per cent found part-time work and 16 per cent selected the “other” category.
The proportion of probationers securing full-time permanent work has decreased for the past five years, from a high of 57 per cent for the 2016-17 cohort.
Additional support needs
There were 232,753 pupils (33 per cent of all pupils) with an ASN recorded in 2021. This was an increase of 0.7 percentage points on 2020 (226,838 pupils with an ASN record, 32.3 per cent of all pupils).
This is the first time since 2009 that the rate has increased by less than one percentage point. A children’s organisation - the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition - raised concerns over the increase in the ASN pupils given the “worrying background of damaging cuts to services”.
Attendance
The rate of attendance has decreased since 2014-15, with the biggest decrease between 2018-19 and 2020-21, reflecting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rate went from 93 per cent in 2018-19, to 92 per cent last year; the attendance rate in 2014-15 was 93.7 per cent.
Unauthorised absence rose from a rate of 1.8 per cent in 2012-13 (which is as far back as the report goes) to 3.2 per cent last year, with the majority categorised as “unexplained absence, including truancy”.
