Rural Scotland's teacher shortage

Plans for a summit aimed at tackling teacher shortages highlight an urgent problem in parts of northern and north east Scotland.

But is the issue the result of local factors or a symptom of a more fundamental issue?

The number of teacher vacancies in the north east, Highlands and the Northern Isles is relatively high. In many other parts of the country, there is no significant problem filling most teacher vacancies.

Council umbrella body Cosla says the problem is in what it calls particular "pockets" of the country - rather than a national problem as such.

In each of the last four years the Scottish government has increased student teacher numbers. It also argues it has addressed teacher unemployment and stabilised teacher numbers in recent years, and has dismissed any suggestions of a Scotland-wide shortage.

There are a number of possible explanations for the problems in northern Scotland.

For example, the cost of housing in some parts of the north east - an important factor in the overall cost of living - may deter people from moving there if they know their salary would go further in another part of the country.

Young people

In rural areas, it can be a challenge to find the right person for any skilled job.

Young people from rural areas who want to become teachers will usually have left home at 18 to study - many may simply not fancy returning to a rural community, at least while they are in their 20s or 30s.

It is important to distinguish between the drop in the overall number of teachers in Scotland in recent years and the all-too-real challenge some councils face filling advertised vacancies.

Councils across Scotland are now committed to trying to maintain teacher numbers - the current council funding deal with the Scottish government makes this a formal obligation.

But filling vacancies requires, of course, finding the right candidates.

Councils in the north have tried a number of ideas - promoting what they believe to be the advantages of living in their area, for instance, or providing free accommodation.

Different challenge

One contentious issue is over just who can become a teacher.

All teachers in Scotland have to register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, but teachers from outside Scotland have to meet specific requirements.

The biggest number of teachers from outside Scotland come, inevitably, from the rest of the UK. However, the minority of teachers from England who, in effect, learned on the job as graduate trainees without obtaining the equivalent of a post graduate certificate of education, cannot register in Scotland.

Head teacher vacancies throw up a different challenge though.

Head teachers are often promoted from within their own council area - they may go for a promoted post at their own school or a nearby school. If these vacancies are unfilled, it may beg questions over why some people appear not to want promoted.

One recently claimed to BBC Scotland that the amount of bureaucracy and extra work for a relatively modest rise in salary meant that some may not believe the promotion to be worth it.