The future of STEM education in schools is in doubt because of ‘woeful’ teacher recruitment across the key subjects, Jackie Baillie has warned.

The numbers entering STEM teacher education have fallen short of targets to the tune of 136 Maths teachers, 111 Chemistry teachers and 71 Physics teachers, according to statistics published by the Scottish Government on initial teacher education intake for 2022.

The figures are woeful and should spark serious concern for the future of Scotland’s teaching profession.

With STEM skills vital for Scotland’s economic future, Jackie Baillie is calling out the Scottish Government for its “betrayal of a generation of young people.”

Dumbarton constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie said: “It is clear for all to see that urgent action is needed to secure the future of STEM education in Scotland.

“Because West Dunbartonshire is an area of multiple deprivation, young people here are already facing more challenges than in other parts of the country. They need access to a high-quality education that will equip them for the jobs of the future.

“The Government’s STEM strategy implementation group is clearly not working with the last published minutes of a meeting of the group dating back to September 2019.

“Whether this is a lack of transparency or a lack of action it is clear that Scotland’s young people will be the ones to suffer.

“Increasing targets is pointless if you continue to fail to meet them and do nothing to strive for them.

“It’s high time that the SNP got to grips with the teacher recruitment crisis before Scotland’s children pay the price.”