Number of new teachers taking ‘golden hello’ to teach anywhere in Scotland falls

A “golden hello” urging new teachers to plug staffing gaps in rural schools was taken up by just 210 probationers, figures have shown.

According to figures released to The Scotsman newspaper by the General Teaching Council for Scotland, 6.8% of the 3,099 probationary teachers in 2022/23 opted for the preference waiver payment.

The incentive allows student teachers to be placed anywhere in Scotland, instead of choosing five preferred local authorities, with secondary school teachers given £8,000 and primary, £6,000.

Further data published shows a declining trend, with 254 students taking up the payment in 2021/22, down from 322 in 2020/21, 310 in 2019/20, and 332 in 2018/19.

But in 2011, the figure was as high as 375, the newspaper reported.

Further data obtained through parliamentary questions by Scottish Tory education spokesman Liam Kerr showed some local authorities received more probationers than requested – while others got fewer.

Glasgow City received 368 – eight more than they bid for; Renfrewshire received 116 despite only requesting 104; and Stirling and West Dunbartonshire were allocated 74 and 75 respectively, but requested 72 and 68.

However, among those who received less, Aberdeen requested 231 and received just 136, while Aberdeenshire got 116 of 166; Dundee, 101 of 139; Fife 218 of 283; Highland, 78 of 108 and North Lanarkshire, 183 of 310.

Mr Kerr, a North East MSP, said: “The preference waiver payments are supposed to provide a genuine incentive for probationer teachers to move to the areas they are needed most.

“But clearly something is going very wrong with the scheme given only a fraction are taking it up.

“All the while, many councils across the country are struggling to find the probation teachers they need to keep things going. This is yet another area of teaching provision where the Scottish Government is failing badly.

“It must work far harder to find a way of getting new teachers to the places where our education system, pupils and communities need them most.”

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, a former modern studies teacher, used the preference waiver during her probationary period and was placed in Moray Council, at Elgin High School.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There are undoubtedly challenges around the recruitment of teachers in certain geographical areas, which is why we provide up to £8,000 for probationary teachers if they are willing to complete their probation anywhere in Scotland.”

PA have contacted the Scottish Government for further comment.