The general secretary of Scotland’s largest teaching union has said that it would be understandable if new teachers struggling to find work felt like “pawns” - and that councils are refusing to employ them because they are wrangling with the Scottish government over money for additional staff.

The comments from the EIS’ Larry Flanagan came to light as an open letter from this year’s probationers was posted online telling the education secretary, John Swinney, that “a whole batch of enthusiastic NQTs [newly qualified teachers]” were “unemployed and facing uncertainty”.

The probationers warned Mr Swinney - as Scottish schools face what has been described as “the biggest curriculum challenge of this century” - that they may have to leave the profession and seek other employment in order to pay their bills.

Background: More teachers needed to reopen schools, says government

Coronavirus: Former teachers could be asked to help reopen schools

News: The biggest curriculum challenge of the century?

The Scottish government has acknowledged that increasing teacher numbers will be “critical” if Scottish schools are to deliver home and in-school learning when they reopen on 11 August - and has even tasked the General Teaching Council for Scotland with tracking down former teachers and asking them if they would be willing to return to the classroom.

Coronavirus: New teachers ‘struggling to find jobs’

However, this year’s probationers - who are due to finish their induction year at the end of this term and are seeking work for August - said that “despite being told that teachers will be required, there is a great concern that this is not the case in reality“.

They said their concern was growing, given there was “less than a week to go until our schools officially close for the summer break” and many of them had yet to secure work.

Some had been placed on supply lists, they said, but they pointed out that there was “no guarantee of employment” and likened supply to being on “a zero-hours contract”.

They added: “Some NQTs face no other option but to seek employment opportunity beyond the teaching profession.”

In a communication with a newly qualified teacher, Mr Flanagan said the GTCS’ efforts to track down former teachers “would seem to be a pointless exercise if we cannot even secure employment for those actively seeking posts”.

He said the new teachers’ recruitment woes stemmed from councils concerns around funding.

He wrote: “The issue, of course, is finance. Cosla [the councils’ umbrella organisation] wants the Scottish government to underwrite any additional costs to local authority spending before it commits to additional recruitment. At the moment discussions between the two bodies are taking place around that topic but they are not yet concluded.

“I would understand if you felt that you were to some extent a pawn in those deliberations!”

He added that the EIS was gathering information from all 32 councils “as to how teacher recruitment is being managed, particularly in relation to those completing their probation year” and, while the survey was incomplete, he said “it is already clear that this has been managed more effectively in some areas than others”.

A newly qualified primary teacher who spoke to Tes Scotland said “many” NQTs were “screaming out” for jobs.

The teacher - who did not wish to be named - added: “It feels like councils don’t want to use their money for new teachers even though we know that class sizes are going to be smaller come August. I think councils are hoping that money will come from the government because they feel it’s too risky to give out permanent jobs.

“I feel like I’ve done two hard years for nothing - it’s just a constant worry. I almost thought that under the circumstances councils would have been trying to keep some continuity for the children and would have really been trying to keep probationers on in their schools. But it looks like I will be saying goodbye to my class online.”

Mr Flanagan identified Fife Council as one of the worst offenders in his email, saying he had received “a number of similar emails over the past week, especially from Fife”.

A Fife Council spokesperson said “a large number” of current probationers had been recruited but it was “not possible to offer all our probationers employment opportunities, particularly within our secondary schools, where pupil subject choice determines the staffing requirements for a school”.

The spokesperson added: “Fife Council have placed adverts via MyJobScotland for primary and secondary teachers and have made appointments to our posts from both internal and external candidates.   

“Fife continue strive to recruit the best quality candidates for our posts and advertising both internally and externally through MyJobScotland allows Fife the opportunity to recruit candidates from all over Scotland.  

“Fife Council continue to support the Teacher Induction Scheme and we will welcome our new probationers into their schools in August 2020.”

North Lanarkshire Council said two factors had reduced the number of permanent vacancies available next year - coronavirus had impacted on workforce planning, it said, and some teachers who were due to retire had decided to stay on “to provide much-welcomed support with the pandemic”.

Ultimately, the council said it had employed 195 newly qualified teachers.

Frank McNally, the council’s education and families convener, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to create fresh opportunities into the profession for new teachers, as well as being able to retain those teachers who chose to stay on and help during the health crisis. Both these groups play an essential role in our learning environment. We are confident that, as we progress through next session, there will be many permanent positions for recently qualified teachers to apply for.”

UPDATE:

On Friday afternoon, a few hours after this story was published, North Lanarkshire Council tweeted a video alongside this message: “Probationer teachers play a key role in helping to deliver our vision of giving all young people the best start in life. All 195 of this year’s newly qualified teachers will be given full-time contracts as Councillor Frank McNally explains.”

Erin McAuley, the teacher who sent the open letter and has been driving the campaign for fair treatment of newly qualified teachers, tweeted that this was “brilliant news” which she hoped all local authorities would follow.

She also tweeted further details of the momentum building behind the campaign, including news that education secretary and deputy first minister John Swinney had been in touch - see tweets below.