Teaching unions and opposition politicians last night questioned a move to train more teachers despite a scarcity of school jobs.

The Scottish Government announced plans to train 300 additional teachers from next year in readiness to join the teaching workforce in 2013.

Michael Russell, the Education Secretary, said falling teacher unemployment rates and a projected future rise in pupils had led to the move.

The teaching workforce also includes a disproportionate number of staff who are approaching retirement age.

However, teaching unions and opposition politicians warned that many teachers trained in recent years were still without full-time permanent jobs.

Mr Russell said: "I believe there is compelling evidence that the situation is now such that we should increase the number of teachers being trained.

"We are taking a measured approach and will continue to monitor the situation to provide necessary stability and smooth out the boom and bust management of teacher recruitment that we have seen in Scotland over recent decades.

"Along with a recommendation to train 200 more primary teachers and 100 more secondary teachers, we are seeking to encourage those that have sought work outside of teaching back into the profession."

But Ronnie Smith, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, said the Government had to "get to grips" with local authorities, who they blamed for refusing to take on staff.

Since 2007 when the SNP came to power there are now nearly 4000 fewer teaching jobs in Scottish schools. The SNP had hoped to maintain teacher numbers in order to reduce class sizes, but that is no longer a priority.

"The Scottish Government continues to address only the supply side through the training of more teachers, and not the demand side where local authorities have been employing fewer teachers in recent years," said Mr Smith.

"This further emphasises the need for an agreed national staffing standard in schools, to ensure a consistent approach across all local authorities on teacher recruitment and employment."

Ann Ballinger, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, expressed "disappointment" at the move.

"I appreciate there have to be plans for a rise in pupil numbers, but according to official figures only 16% of newly qualified teachers got full-time permanent posts, which would suggest there is a large number still looking for work."

Hugh Henry, education spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, called the Government announcement "dishonest".

"The SNP Government has cut teacher numbers every year since it came to power and SNP ministers seem to be lurching from one extreme to the other," he said. "Teachers and parents want consistency."

Liam McArthur, education spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: "The SNP Government's track record on this issue is poor."

Liz Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, added: "Let's hope Mr Russell has got his sums right this time and we don't have a repeat of the shambles of the last few years."

Pupil numbers in primary school rose in 2011 and will continue to rise each year, peaking in 2018. Pupil numbers in secondary school then start to rise in 2017.

Jobseeker's Allowance figures show that over the past 12 months the number of teachers claiming has fallen by 29%.

Employment levels for newly trained teachers are also improving, while age profiles of teachers show a peak in the fifties.