Report exposes teacher crisis

MORE than 600 teachers serving in Dumfries and Galloway schools don’t have long-term job security, according to a new education report.

This equates to nearly 20 percent of the teaching workforce, and is resulting in some teachers leaving the region or profession entirely.

These figures have sparked con- cerns among teachers, with one representative speaking out on the issue at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee last week.

A schools’ service plan report for 2026/27 was tabled at the committee, and the document’s workforce section showed that the council has 262 temporary teachers (7.85 per- cent of the entire workforce) and a further 368 on fixed-term contracts (11.03 percent).

Julie Irving, a primary school teacher and teachers’ representative on the education committee, highlighted these stats.

She said: “Looking at the info- graphic, it would appear that almost 20 percent of teachers are not permanent employees of the council.

“This has been a bug bearer for teaching staff for quite a number of years now that we have lots of staff who are on fixed-term, tem- porary contracts and not gaining permanent employment.

“Some of the staff then leave teaching because they can’t get jobs. I’m just wondering what further is being done to alleviate this issue.

John Thin, the council’s head of education resources, replied: “There has been a revised policy in terms of those who are entitled to permanency to try and ensure that we have got vacancies for them.

“However, like any sizable organi- sation, there is a requirement for us to have temporary staff. It allows us to to move with the ebb and flow of reductions, changes in class sizes, etc.

“So it allows that to happen and also those who we require for pure supply teachers as well to ensure we can cover vacancies when there are absences.

“So those numbers are all encapsulated within that percentage.” Ms Irving responded: “My concern is that there are teachers who’ve worked for several years for the authority who have built up their

claim to permanency – and there are no jobs for them.

“And I think if we’ve got this number of posts that are not permanently filled, surely we could create some permanent posts?”

Mr Thin explained that, unless the council education budget has available funds for those permanent positions, then additional full-time roles cannot be created.

He added: “It is that fine line between ensuring we’ve got the va- cancies that we require and we’ve got the temporary positions that we require, but also trying to provide the opportunities for staff to be employed in a permanent basis to allow them to develop their careers in Dumfries and Galloway."