The Scottish Government has come under fresh attack after figures showed the number of teachers fell by more than 1,300 last year.
The ratio of pupils-to-teachers in schools also increased – and there was no improvement in the proportion of children in primary 1 to primary 3 in class sizes of 18 or fewer.
Labour leader Iain Gray demanded Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop’s sacking, saying: “Enough is enough.
“These figures show the complete failure of Fiona Hyslop on teacher numbers.
“It’s time now for Alex Salmond to do the right thing and turf her out of his Cabinet.
“Her record in office has been one broken promise after another.”
And Tory spokeswoman Liz Smith said Ms Hyslop should “hang her head in shame” over figures which, she said, showed there were now 2,000 fewer teachers than in 2007.
Ms Smith said: “These latest statistics are seriously concerning, not just for the teaching profession and those aspiring to join it, but for parents and pupils the length and breadth of Scotland.
“Under Fiona Hyslop’s watch over 2,000 fewer teachers are now employed in Scotland.
“That is a shocking reflection of the SNP Government and its manifesto commitments on education have been completely torn to shreds.”
The figures show a total of 52,993 teachers in Scotland when the numbers were counted in September – 1,348 fewer than last year.
Pupil-teacher ratios rose from 12.9 in 2008 to 13.2 this year.
Primary schools had a total of 23,255 teachers compared to 23,621 last year giving a pupil-teacher ratio of 15.8, compared to 15.7 last year.
Secondary schools had 25,371 teachers, nearly 700 fewer than last year’s total of 26,067, and a pupil-teacher ratio of 11.9, compared to 11.7.
Ms Hyslop called the fall in teacher numbers "unacceptable".
She said the Scottish Government's Cabinet would hold talks with local authority leaders.
And she hit out at what she called the "truly shocking" state of affairs in Glasgow, where class sizes had increased, teacher numbers had fallen and pupil attainment levels were the worst in Scotland.
Ms Hyslop told a conference of education directors: "Half of Scotland's councils have delivered improvements in primary school class sizes. Half have not.
"What is more, there has been a sharp fall in the number of teachers. That is simply unacceptable."
Talks with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities would seek "a new way forward" on ensuring all councils achieved class size reductions in P1-3.
"Everything will be on the table and we will keep an open mind, but parents and pupils have a right to insist on progress," she said.
Ms Hyslop added there was enough cash to maintain teacher numbers at 2007 levels, council budgets were rising, total education spending is up and attainment levels were improving.
She said: "The recession and other pressures mean slower progress on class sizes was inevitable but overall, councils have clearly spent over £110 million of funding provided by the Scottish Government for teachers salaries on other purposes."
Criticising Glasgow City Council, she said it was "deplorable" that the authority was responsible for more than a quarter of the total fall in teacher numbers.
"What is truly shocking is that Glasgow City Council has increased class sizes and cut teacher numbers at exactly the same time as figures for attainment show they are the worst performing council in Scotland," she said.
Meanwhile, statistics on pupils showed a 0.7% fall in the total number, to 676,740.
The average class size in primary schools was 23.1 pupils, down from 23.2, and the smallest classes were in Primary 1, at an unchanged average of 21.1.
And the percentage of Primary 1 to 3 pupils in class sizes of 18 or fewer remains unchanged at 13.2%.
The figures also show men now account for just 24% of Scotland’s teaching workforce – 92% of all primary teachers and 61% of secondary teachers are women.
