Record number of 'demoralised' early career teachers quit profession in Scotland
Calls to bolster support and authority for under pressure workforce
A record number of early career teachers in Scotland are quitting the profession, sparking calls for an overhaul to make the job more appealing and ensure classroom leaders are given greater authority and support.
Figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats show the number of recent registrants leaving the register each year has doubled from 183 in 2018 to an unprecedented high of 374 last year.
The data, compiled by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent nationwide regulator, shows that since 2018, a total of 1,673 individuals decided to permanently leave the register within five years of gaining their provisional registration.
The figures also show a significant spike in the number of new teachers choosing to step away from the profession at an early stage. Whereas just 30 people quit within two years of receiving their provisional registration in 2018, that number jumped to 126 in 2024. Similarly, the number quitting within three years of receiving their provisional approval to teach stood at 131 last year, up from just 50 seven years ago.
Separate research produced by the GTCS shows that across all areas of experience, some 4,815 people left the register between August 2022 and March last year, with just 58 per cent retiring. Hundreds cited reasons such as problems securing a post, a lack of support in the classroom, unnecessary bureaucracy, and pupil behaviour and violence.
Willie Rennie, education spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems, warned the trend highlighted the need for a plan to get Scottish education “moving in the right direction”.
He said: “Teaching is not as attractive a career as it once was. Who would want to face violence in the classrooms while salaries in industry race ahead? Teachers who are just starting out on their careers are feeling demoralised, disillusioned and disincentivised.
“The SNP once claimed they wanted to be judged on their record on education. They certainly aren’t saying that anymore. Our young people need access to great teachers and a great education if we want them to get ahead in life.”
Mr Rennie added: “Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see properly resourced schools and education authorities with a plan for getting Scottish education moving in the right direction. We would make teaching a more attractive career path by bringing back principal teachers for key subjects, boosting in-class support and giving teachers the authority they need to halt violence in our schools.”
Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, Pam Duncan-Glancy, said the numbers leaving the teaching profession were a “damning sign” of mismanagement.
“Teachers are being driven out of the profession by the incompetence of this government, from its failure to deal with rising levels of violence to its shambolic lack of workforce planning,” she said. “A Scottish Labour government will support teachers and build the education system young Scots deserve.”
Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs said: “The SNP, far from meeting their pledge to increase teacher numbers, have actually presided over a fall. Meanwhile, they continue to short-change schools and students by failing to deliver the full-time jobs they promised newly qualified teachers.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “The Scottish Government recognises and appreciates the hard work of our teachers. Our determination to support them led to an historic pay deal which now means that Scottish classroom teachers, on the main-grade scale, are the best paid in the UK.
“We also know how important wellbeing is to retaining teachers in the workplace. That is why we provided an additional £186.5 million in our budget, which was welcomed across the chamber, to restore teacher numbers, alongside an additional £29 million to support the recruitment and retention of the ASN workforce.
“The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills will also shortly hold a workforce round table with trade unions, local government, GTCS and other key partners to consider ways the teaching profession can be better supported and how new entrants can be attracted to the profession through a variety of pathways.”
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