LESSONS must be learned from the negative experience of some trainee teachers, ministers have pledged.

John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said ensuring school placements were an enjoyable experience for trainees was vital to the future quality of the profession.

His comments came after a survey of teachers by the Scottish Parliament’s education committee revealed concerns from newly-qualified staff.

Some said they would no longer consider teaching as a lifelong career blaming workload, low pay and stress.

Mr Swinney said: “It is important that we take very seriously the feedback we get from aspiring teachers as they go through the system.

“If the experience of trainee teachers is not satisfactory then we must all take due account of that.

“The trainee teacher placement in schools is a critical part of the professional development of trainee teachers to acquire skills, but it is equally there for teachers to be able to mentor and encourage new members of the profession and also to learn from them.”

Mr Swinney said the placement system was a crucial part of how schools ensured they attracted, motivated and nurtured new teachers for the future.

He added: “There is published information that demonstrates that trainee teachers are having a positive experience, but if there is experience which is not of that character then we all need to learn lessons from that.”

Yesterday, The Herald revealed that the education committee survey contained evidence from some trainees that difficult experiences in the classroom and on placement had made them re-think their career path.

Reasons given included the lack of time for planning, onerous tracking and assessment of pupils, long working hours, poor pay and lack of support.

One said veteran teachers had told them to “leave whilst you still can” while another suggested bullying was rife within the profession and staff rooms a “poisonous environment”.

The results were published after MSPs launched an inquiry into the crisis in recruitment currently facing many Scottish schools.

The full extent of the problem was revealed last year when it emerged there were 730 unfilled vacancies across 27 of Scotland’s 32 council areas.

The problem is particularly acute in rural areas and in some secondary subjects including maths, physics, chemistry, computing science and design technology.