Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions to support further improvement in teacher recruitment for all subjects including business management and accounting.

We have taken decisive action to recruit and retain teachers through our Teaching Makes People campaign and are providing £88 million this year to fund councils to maintain teacher numbers. We are also continuing to support universities in the development of new routes into teaching.

The latest available information on teacher vacancies can be found here:

https://beta.gov.scot/publications/teacher-vacancies-statistics-2016-2017/

It shows that there were 23 vacant business studies teaching posts in Scottish secondary schools in September 2017.

The following table shows the number of entries in Accounting and Accounting and Finance over the last 10 years for secondary school pupils, for which data is available.

Number of entries 1 in Accounting and Accounting & Finance for secondary school pupils 2,3 , 2008 to 2017

What is offered in way of undergraduate and postgraduate education courses is a matter for universities, given they operate as autonomous bodies. It is not practicable for each Initial Teacher Education university to offer teaching programmes in all subjects.

For the 2018-19 academic year, 83 places have been allocated to Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes in Business Education. These are available at the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands and Strathclyde. The University of Stirling also offers a combined undergraduate degree in Business Education and teaching.

As the national awarding body, the SQA offers a range of national qualifications including Accounting and Business Management. The precise number and range of qualifications on offer for pupils will be a decision for schools to take in consultation with learners and parents.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information on the number of state secondary school pupils entered for National Qualifications for 2018-19. Data on the number of pupils entered for Accountancy at National 5, Higher and Advance Higher for the last 10 years was provided in response to S5W–18830 on 15 October 2018. Data on 2018-19 entries is not yet available. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Statistics on the number of teachers buy main subject taught are published in Table 3.9 of the teacher census supplementary tables, available on the Scottish Government here:

https://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/teachcenssuppdata/TeaSup2017

These tables show the number of teachers with a main subject of Business Studies. Statistics on the number of accounting teachers are not collected.

As with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of complication and the Scottish Government has received a small number of letters from patients describing symptoms after hernia mesh surgery. However, the use of mesh in hernia repair is accepted practice across the UK and there no evidence to suggest its use is unsafe, with no medical device alert having been issued in any jurisdiction anywhere in the world. Any complications are expected to be followed up as necessary by the clinicians involved in the case.

Part 3 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 sets out who can make the arrangements for the burial or cremation of an adult, child, still-born baby and pregnancy loss. As part of the ongoing implementation of the 2016 Act, Part 3 will be laid before the Scottish Parliament for commencement soon.

The 2016 Act does not restrict or govern who may organise or conduct the funeral of a deceased person. The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce regulations governing who can conduct a funeral.

The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions to improve teacher recruitment in problem subject areas, including supporting universities in the development of new routes into teaching, offering bursaries of £20,000 for career changers to do teacher training in certain STEM subjects, and delivering our teacher recruitment campaign ‘Teaching Makes People’ which focuses on STEM and other subjects where demand is at its greatest.

We believe it is important that local authorities and schools offer a broad range of subject choices that meet their pupils' needs and aspirations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18753 on 27 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .