HUNDREDS of trainee teachers from Scotland have been left without vital school placements just days before they were due to start.
The situation has arisen after problems emerged with the roll-out a new national students placement system - which matches trainees with suitable schools.
On Friday, the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which runs the computer system, said some 200 individuals were still without a place.
Universities have had to phone schools to ensure staff know trainees are coming.
At Strathclyde University, letters have also been given to more than 400 students to take to schools today because they fear some may still not be expected.
The letter says: "You may receive a student you weren't expecting at all. If such a student has been sent to you, it is because a match has been made as the placement at your school is still showing on the system as available and this has been confirmed either by the school or the local authority.
"I am fully aware that, in the time since you made the offer, circumstances may have changed, and you are now no longer able to host a student."
The two-week placements are crucial because they represent the first time trainee teachers experience a school environment and get to know staff and pupils. Longer teaching placements are carried out later in the school year.
A GTCS spokesman said the organisation was aware of issues with the placing of students in schools.
He said: "We alerted local authorities to this issue as soon as it became apparent and we are working closely with universities to find a quick resolution.
"We are aware that there are issues placing students every year and this new system needs time to address those issues to ensure a smoother operation in future.
"This is not due to any technical problems with the Student Placement System, but instead because of the complexity of the placements, which involve matching travel distances to appropriate vacancies, among other considerations."
He said there were around 15,500 students across Scotland seeking placements this year with 200 still to be placed.
"We understand the inconvenience caused to students, universities and schools and thank them for their patience," he added.
A spokeswoman for Strathclyde University said: "We have been working closely with local authorities to ensure our students will be able to arrive in their schools, as planned, next week to begin their placements."
A Glasgow University spokesman added: "We have been working closely over a period of weeks with our students and the schools involved to minimise any disruption caused by the introduction of the national students placement system."
A spokesman for the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union called for urgent improvements to ensure all students received a suitable placement.
He said: "School placements are essential to the student teacher experience and require to be planned for both by the student and the receiving school. Universities and local authorities need to work together with the GTCS in order to make the new student placement system effective."
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