Nursery World - Pre-school pupil numbers to fall

Scotland's pre-school centres face a drop of 5,000 children over the next ten years, according to figures released by the Scottish Executive last week. The number of pupils in pre-school settings was projected to fall from 58,000 in September 2002 to around 53,000 in 2013. Meanwhile, the number in publicly funded primary schools was forecast to drop from 414,000 to 347,000 over the same period.

The number of pupils in pre-school settings was projected to fall from 58,000 in September 2002 to around 53,000 in 2013. Meanwhile, the number in publicly funded primary schools was forecast to drop from 414,000 to 347,000 over the same period.

The number of teachers is also expected to fall, but to a lesser degree.

Teacher levels in publicly funded pre-schools were projected to remain at around 1,600 for the next few years before falling to 1,500, while primary school teachers would rise from 23,000 in 2002 to 24,000 in 2007, before falling to 22,000 in 2013.

However, the Executive also announced an expansion of postgraduate teacher training, to support its policy of reducing class sizes in pre-school and primary schools. This would also maintain levels in the profession as teachers retire in greater numbers.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included