Glasgow teaching cuts: Glaswegian teachers speak out as 450 teaching jobs set to be axed

Yesterday, it was announced that Glasgow City Council plan to cut up to 450 teaching posts over the next three years in a bid to save millions of pounds.

It was originally understood that the council could cut up to 172 teachings posts across primary and secondary schools with it expected to save the local authority £27.8 million over three years.

The budget plans were passed almost two weeks ago in Glasgow after a deal had been agreed between the SNP and Greens.

Speaking about the proposed cuts to education, Secretary at Glasgow EIS, Jane Gow said: "Glasgow schools simply can’t take any more cuts in teacher numbers. Staffing is stretched to the limit as it is, with some secondary schools reporting a current long-term shortage in subject specialists.

"Teacher numbers fell over the last two years and with the projected loss of over 170 more in year one and 450 over the three-year budget, we are facing a real crisis point in Education provision.

"This will hit our disadvantaged pupils the hardest as schools struggle to close the attainment gap with decreasing budgets and inadequate resources to support our most vulnerable young people across all the sectors.

"The ratio of pupils to teachers will rise and result in even less time to spend with individual young people and to meet the rising tide of assisted support needs we have seen year on year. With services such as MCR pathways programme also in line for cuts, our young people will be further disadvantaged as these invaluable supports are lost to Glasgow schools.”

This feeling of frustration and and worry is also being felt by teachers across Glasgow with one primary school teacher who is currently on their probation year telling us: "I spent five years studying to be a teacher at university and put myself into debt for it all to feel like a waste of time.

"I am now contemplating having to switch jobs due to these teaching cuts as I currently won't have a job in education after summer.

"I feel totally disheartened as a newly qualified teacher and this news has genuinely made me think about leaving the profession."