MSP: East Dunbartonshire in line for 70 additional school teachers

So says Green MSP for the West of Scotland, Ross Greer.

Mr Greer, who lives in East Dunbartonshire, said the additional teachers for the area has been made possible as a result of the co-operation agreement between the Scottish Greens and the SNP Scottish Government.

Some 3,500 new teachers are to be recruited in Scotland and Mr Greer said that by population share, “this should result in 70 new teachers in East Dunbartonshire”.

The MSP said the funding will be delivered over the course of this term of Parliament.

Mr Greer said: “The Scottish Greens have campaigned to increase teacher numbers for many years, so it's fantastic that we’re now in a position to deliver it, thanks to Green voters in East Dunbartonshire.

"The additional 70 teachers locally will be critical to delivering the post-covid recovery plan for our young people.

“Even before the pandemic, Scotland's teachers had some of the highest workloads and longest overtime hours in Europe.

"But over the last eighteen months they have gone above and beyond to support our young people.

"Increasing the number of permanent, full-time teachers is essential to bringing that workload back under control and making teaching an attractive, rewarding profession.”

Mr Greer said the funding comes in addition to the 1400 additional teaching posts created during the covid pandemic.

Funding, he added, will also be provided to make those posts permanent, resulting in almost five thousand additional teachers compared to pre-covid levels. Some 500 additional teaching assistants will also be recruited.

The agreement reached by the Scottish Greens and Scottish Government also includes a £10m initiative to support low income families.

There are also plans to limit the cost of school uniforms and to give young people the right to access mental health support in school.

Meanwhile, at FMQs last week, Ross Greer called on future exam appeals to be free.The MSP pointed out that the pre-Covid appeals system saw schools charged a fee by the SQA for an exam paper to be re-marked.