Over 4,000 newly qualified Scottish teachers have quit since 2012, according to figures published by the Scottish Conservatives.
 
The statistics from the General Teaching Council for Scotland, in a Freedom of Information response, show that since 2012, 23,361 teachers have qualified. However, out of that number, 4,276 have already left the profession since qualifying.
 
While overall numbers of newly qualified teachers are increasing, these figures represents a staggering 18 percent of teachers who have quit teaching within six years of training.
 
This news follows the recent revelation that councils are spending over £60 million a year on supply teachers, and that thousands of teachers between the ages of 43 and 60 are also quitting the profession.
 
The Scottish Conservatives have said that the SNP must tackle teacher retention issues in order to fill the 3,100 teacher shortage they created.
 
Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary said:
 
“Whilst there are some encouraging signs that the overall number of younger teachers is increasing, the issue of retention remains a real worry.
 
“What these statistics show is that almost one in five newly qualified teachers quits teaching within six years of training.
 
“It is that issue, combined with the higher number of older and more experienced teachers leaving the profession early, which is a major concern.
 
“The SNP has let teacher numbers fall by 3,100 during their tenure. So much for education being the SNP’s top priority.
 
“Teachers have been very clear that they are struggling with the current workload and the lack of full teaching staff only makes it worse.
 
“We cannot have a world-class education system without enough well-qualified teachers, and it is quite clear that good teachers of all ages are being driven out of the profession.
 
“The SNP must tackle these teacher retention issues in order to address the teacher shortage they have created.”