THE proportion of nursery pupils in Scotland who have access to a qualified teacher has fallen to its lowest level in recent years.
Some 73.2 per cent of pre-school pupils now get input from a registered teacher compared to 75.4 per cent in 2012, official figures show.
In recent years, local authorities have replaced teachers with lower-paid child development officers – previously called nursery nurses – partly on cost grounds, but also because they work longer hours.
Read more: John Swinney under fire as pupils fail to meet primary literacy and numeracy goals
Councils argue child development officers are now better qualified than ever before following the introduction of new qualifications up to degree level and their use allows them to open nurseries for longer to meet the demands of working parents. However, research has consistently highlighted the importance of teachers in nursery education.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union, said the drop was of “significant concern”.
He added: “It is unacceptable that, in this important stage of early education, so many young children are not receiving the input from qualified teachers that is so integral to a high-quality educational experience.”
Read more: John Swinney under fire as pupils fail to meet primary literacy and numeracy goals
“The figures indicate that on a typical week three out of every 10 children in nursery had no input from a registered teacher.”
Meanwhile, the figures also showed a rise in the number of pupils identified with Additional Support Needs (ASN).
ASN pupil numbers have reached a new high at 170,329 - a quarter of the pupil population and an increase of almost 30 per cent since 2013.
Read more: John Swinney under fire as pupils fail to meet primary literacy and numeracy goals
A spokesman from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition, which represents private and charitable ASN services, said: “While it is promising this increase tells us that more young people with ASN are being identified, it is against a worrying background of damaging cuts to services which has seen the number of specialist teachers cut.”
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