Scotland’s education secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, has said that a bursary scheme aimed at career changers who wish to teach science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects with staff shortages will continue next year.
Earlier this week - in response to a Tes Scotland request - Ms Somerville (pictured) refused to confirm whether bursaries for career changers wishing to embark on a teaching career in shortage subjects would be available this coming academic year, sparking concerns about the impact on tough-to-recruit subjects such as computing, maths and technological education.
However, today in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Somerville said she was “happy to confirm...that of course the Stem bursaries will continue”. She added: “This has been an important part of our policy to date and will continue in the next financial year.”
Ms Somerville made her comments in response to a question from Labour education spokesperson Michael Marra, who called for “an effective national strategy” to address the Stem teacher shortage.
Mr Marra highlighted that this year universities were struggling to fill places on secondary initial teacher education courses.
The shortage of Stem teachers in Scotland
Overall, 40 per cent of places on the one-year PGDE went unfilled this year, with subjects such as chemistry, maths and computing particularly badly hit.
He also pointed out that “almost half of the available Stem bursaries for new teachers went unfilled this year”.
This year 150 Stem bursaries, worth £20,000 each, were available but just 84 were awarded. In the previous year (2021-22), 137 Stem bursaries were approved; and the year before that (2020-21), 150.
Ms Somerville said she recognised the need to do more and the issue was being considered by a number of working groups, which were looking at “recruitment and retention, particularly around the Stem teaching area”.
She added that the government was providing £145.5 million to protect teacher and support staff numbers.
Last week The Courier newspaper reported that Fife Council was facing a teacher staffing crisis, advertising vacancies for seven maths teachers and 10 craft, design and technology teachers.
