Rates of General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered teachers in settings have dropped 29 per cent over the last decade - compared to a decrease in child numbers of just 4 per cent, according to the research.
The result is a national ratio of one teacher to 84 children – which the authors claim must improve if government policy objectives are to be achieved.
The concerns are raised as the Scottish Government launches proposals to boost free early learning and childcare (ELC) entitlement to 30 hours a week by 2020 and narrow the education gap caused by disadvantage.
The report, commissioned by union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), found that maintaining a registered teacher workforce in pre-school settings would provide ‘valuable contributions to young children's learning, including support for early literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing, in line with the experiences and outcomes’ of the Scottish national curriculum – the Curriculum for Excellence.
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