Tory MSP Liz Smith says when she was training to be a teacher the theoretical aspects were not helpful but the practical aspects were.

Ms Smith asks if the placements in school are working and if teachers have enough time to train trainee teachers.

The Tory MSP also asks how the theoretical aspects could be improved.

Trainee teacher Willie MacLeod says Ms Smith's experiences match his own and that he found when teachers could spend a lot of time with him it was a real benefit.

Mr MacLeod says the "theoretical aspect had little relevance to what goes on in the classroom."  

Image source, bbc

Trainee teacher Willie MacLeod agrees and says a period of stability would be welcome.

Mr MacLeod says the public perspective is that teachers are professionals, although the SQA and Education Scotland does not treat them as such.

Trainee teacher Halla Price says "there is a stigma about the perceived intelligence of teachers."

Ms Price says she was actually discouraged by her own teachers to go into the profession.

Trainee teacher Mark Melrose says a period of stability would be welcome.

Image source, bbc

Trainee teacher Mark Melrose says: "Generally teachers are seen as quite moany."

The reason is it's just constant changes these days, Mr Melrose says.

He says there a constant changes coming from parliament. 

Image source, bbc

Trainee teacher Carys Boyle says she wants to be there for the "light bulb moment" to be remembered by pupils as the teacher that made an impact. 

Former trainee teacher Kimberley Miller-Drummond says she originally trained in Stirling and then went to Strathclyde Uni.

Ms Miller-Drummond says that at the time Stirling was considered an area of deprivation.

She says she wanted to break the cycle of unemployment in the area.  

Image source, bbc

Education Committee convener James Dornan tells the witnesses to only answer questions they are comfortable with.

Mr Dornan asks about the witnesses motivations for becoming a teacher.

Trainee teacher Halla Price says it gives an "amazing opportunity to be a positive influence in children's lives".

Image source, Thinkstock

The committee issued questionnaires to trainee teachers, teachers and other school staff to get their direct experiences on issues impacting on recruitment and retention. 

Questionnaire responses were invited between 6th and 20th April and almost 700 were received, around 350 before the deadline.

Read the responses here., external

Education Committee convener Jamed Dornan gets us underway by introducing the first panel of witnesses:

• Former trainee teacher Kimberley Miller-Drummond 
• Trainee teacher Mark Melrose 
• Trainee teacher Willie MacLeod 
• Trainee teacher Carys Boyle
• Trainee teacher Halla Price   

Hundreds more teacher training places are to be made available at Scottish universities from September.

Education Secretary John Swinney said the number of places would rise by 371 to a total of 3,861 at the start of the next academic year.

Mr Swinney said the places would be funded by more than £3m of Scottish government cash.

The announcement follows criticism from political opponents over falling standards in Scotland's schools.

Read more here.

Scotland's biggest teaching union voiced concern, in November, over a proposal to fast-track new teachers into classrooms.

Education Secretary John Swinney has made public his "innovative plan" to "broaden" routes into teaching.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said there was "much to welcome" in the raft of measures which include enticing former teachers to return.

However, it was unhappy at the idea of combining post-graduate learning with the one-year classroom probation.

Image source, Thinkstock

The ability to teach children with additional support needs (ASN) in mainstream Scottish schools is under threat, the country's largest teaching union claimed in December.

The EIS union said cuts to the number of ASN teachers meant pupils' needs were not being met as well as they should be.

And it said ASN teachers were reporting a lack of equipment and resources.

The employment of support staff is the responsibility of local councils.

The literacy skills of Scottish school pupils have fallen over the past four years, according to figures published by the Scottish government, external.

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy found that less than half of Scotland's 13 and 14-year-olds are now performing well in writing.

P4 and P7 pupils also saw a drop in writing performance.

The reading ability of P4, P7 and S2 pupils remains broadly similar to 2014 - but lower than 2012.

And there has been no reduction in the big gap between the performance of the country's wealthiest and most deprived pupils.

• How well are Scottish pupils doing?

Education Secretary John Swinney acknowledged that the figures were "simply not good enough" and showed that education reforms were now "imperative".

Mr Swinney added: "If anyone looking at these literacy results thinks nothing more needs to change in Scottish education, then they are mistaken."

Read more here.

Image source, Thinkstock

The Education Committee, external will shortly take evidence on workforce planning for Scotland's schools.

During the first evidence session the committee will hear from:

• Halla Price, trainee teacher
• Kimberley Miller-Drummond, former trainee teacher
• Mark Melrose, trainee teacher
• Willie MacLeod, trainee teacher
• Carys Boyle, trainee teacher

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 10 May 2017. 

First up this morning the Education Committee will take evidence from teachers and trainee teachers on the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland. 

Image source, BBC / Thinkstock

This afternoon in the chamber health and sport ministers will take the hot seats for portfolio questions. 

Labour will then lead a debate on health. 

SNP MSP Emma Harper will lead this evening's member's debate calling on MSPs to celebrate International Nurses Day.