£76.6m spent on hiring supply teachers in last year, figures show

The cost of hiring supply teachers in Scotland has surged to more than £76 million in the last year, figures show.

The data, obtained by the Conservatives through freedom of information requests, shows the cost of supply teachers has risen every year since at least 2021.

The party said the “eye-watering” figures show that in the last four years, local authorities spent more than £277 million on these roles.

In 2021-22, local authorities spent £63.1 million on supply teachers, rising to £65.9 million in 2022-23, £71.6 million in 2023-24, and £76.6 million in 2024-25.

It represents an increase of more than £13 million in three years.

The true cost is likely to be even higher after three councils – East Lothian, East Renfrewshire and Midlothian – said they were unable to provide data.

Glasgow spent the most on supply teachers with £11.1 million in 2024-25, while Edinburgh spent £4.4 million and Aberdeen £1.8 million.

Highland Council spent £4.5 million on supply teachers in the last year, while Dundee spent £1.5 million

Miles Briggs, the Tory education spokesman at Holyrood, blamed the rise on the SNP’s “failure to properly recruit and retain permanent teachers”, describing the situation as “unsustainable”.

He said: “These eye-watering figures expose yet another example of SNP incompetence in managing Scotland’s education.

“Reliance on supply teachers has ballooned under the SNP because they have failed to recruit and retain enough full-time teachers – leaving pupils facing disruption and taxpayers footing an ever-growing bill.

“Despite their promise to increase teacher numbers, they have fallen, while cuts have reduced the number of newly qualified teachers being given full-time posts.

“With fewer people entering the profession and more driven out, the SNP has made teaching in Scotland increasingly unsustainable.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.