West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene claims a lack of teacher recruitment is a cause for concern.

The Conservative MSP used a parliamentary question to highlight the Scottish Government’s record on recruiting new teachers, with just 60 per cent of places filled last year.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Jamie Greene asked the Minister for Education, Jenny Gilruth, what the Scottish Government were doing to recruit more secondary school teachers.

The question came after new data showed that 40 per cent of new teacher places went unfilled last year in Scotland.

The number of experienced teachers over the age of 40 has also declined by 20 per cent since the SNP came to power.

Mr Greene said: “My worry is that pupils will be left with fewer subjects to choose from at school than before.

“We should be talking about widening opportunities for pupils, not narrowing them, but the neglect of education by this government means future pupils in some areas may have fewer choices and opportunities than they do today.

“The Scottish Government must urgently address this issue so that our schools and teachers have the resources to give pupils the quality of education and learning they deserve.”

Responding in parliament, Ms Gilruth said the Scottish Government was doing what it could to attract more teachers. 

She said: "The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the recruitment of more teachers, and we are providing £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect increased teacher numbers and support staff across all local councils.

"We work with partners to promote teaching as a highly rewarding career and the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of children and young people.

"The aim of that work is to improve recruitment and retention and to attract more highly qualified individuals into teaching in areas and subjects where they are needed most.

"In addition, the strategic board for teacher education, which is made up of a range of key education stakeholders, is looking in detail at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland."

In response to Ms Gilruth’s answer, Mr Greene said that the existing mechanisms to draw new teachers to rural and remote areas were becoming less and less effective, adding to the problem of teacher shortages.

He also asked the minister why the Scottish Government we’re missing its own targets when it came to filling new teacher posts.

Ms Gilruth blamed the shortage on a number of factors, including teachers being less likely to move than in the past.