YOUR article (“Teacher training places to be axed”, The Herald, April 22) did not fully represent the facts regarding teacher workforce planning in Scotland.
The article cited figures from statistical modelling which are not target intake figures for initial teacher education and do not represent the number of teachers to be trained in Scotland in the coming years.
For the avoidance of any doubt, these figures are merely used as a starting point for annual discussions with the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group when agreeing required teacher training numbers on a year-by-year basis. The group also considers other factors such as the teacher census, local demand, the number of teachers leaving or returning to the profession and the number of students not completing their course before making final decisions on teacher training intake.
Our longer-term statistical modelling suggests a potential requirement to reduce primary training numbers because of an anticipated stabilising pupil roll in primary schools in future years.
It is important to emphasise that this will be considered alongside other factors before final teacher training intake is agreed.
John Swinney,
Deputy First Minister,
The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, Edinburgh.
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