Number of modern languages teachers down by more than a fifth, figures suggest

The number of modern languages teachers in Scotland has fallen by more than a fifth since 2008, figures have shown.

Analysis of the Supplementary Schools Statistics by the Scottish Liberal Democrats also found that the number of French and German teachers is at a record low.

Since 2008, there has been a 22.3% reduction in the number of modern languages teachers – a decrease of 347.

Scotland has lost 44.2% of its French teachers since then, with 597 currently teaching.

German teacher numbers fell by 63.3%, with 66 still at Scotland’s schools.

Willie Rennie, the Lib Dem education spokesperson at Holyrood, urged the Scottish Government to reverse the trend.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said subjects such as French and German had been squeezed by reforms to the curriculum. PA Media

He said: “There are so many careers and aspects of life where being able to speak another language is hugely beneficial.

“But that’s extremely hard to do without the teachers who can develop those key language skills.

“Subjects like French and German have been squeezed by reforms to the curriculum.

“If we are to give young people choices and secure the best future for them, the Scottish Government need to introduce more incentives to attract suitable people, including those who are later on in their careers and want to contribute to the next generation. It requires a concerted effort from government and councils to make this happen.

“Ultimately, however, if we are to get Scottish education back to its best, we need a change of government.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the critical importance of language skills and it is why we have invested over £50m since 2013 in the 1+2 languages learning policy in schools.

“We continue to promote language learning through a range of initiatives, including continued funding for Scotland’s National Centre for Languages.

“We also recognise the importance of recruiting language teachers and we have extended the provision of bursaries of £20,000 to encourage career-changers to become teachers to modern languages in 2024-25.”