Statistics of Science Teachers in Scottish Schools: FOI release

Information requested

1. The number of teachers who teach Biology in schools in Scotland?

2. The number of teachers who teach Chemistry in schools in Scotland?

3. The number of teachers who teach Physics in schools in Scotland?

4. The number of people who will qualify to teach Biology in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

5. The number of people who will qualify to teach Chemistry in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

6. The number of people who will qualify to teach Physics in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

7. The number of people who will retire from teaching Biology in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

8. The number of people who will retire from teaching Chemistry in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

9. The number of people who will retire from teaching Physics in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024?

10. Could you provide the equivalent answers to these 9 questions for the year 2007/2008 as well?

11. Could you provide equivalent answers relating to teachers in primary schools for 2023/2024 and 2007/2008 as well?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have all the information you have requested. Please see the responses to your questions.

We do not hold data on all teachers that teach a subject in a given year but the responses to questions 1 to 3 and 10 show the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) secondary school teachers that reported the subject as their main subject taught in that year (rounded to nearest 1 FTE). These figures do not include Head Teachers or Depute Head Teachers.

Subject level data from 2008 is available from Tables 2.8, 3.9, 4.8 in Teacher census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Data for 2023 will be published in March 2024.

1. The number of teachers who teach Biology in schools in Scotland?

In 2022, 1,356 FTE secondary school teachers reported Biology as their main subject taught.

2. The number of teachers who teach Chemistry in schools in Scotland?

In 2022, 1,004 FTE secondary school teachers reported Chemistry as their main subject taught.

3. The number of teachers who teach Physics in schools in Scotland?

In 2022, 821 FTE secondary school teachers reported Physics as their main subject taught.

4. The number of people who will qualify to teach Biology in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024? (Please see response below)

5. The number of people who will qualify to teach Chemistry in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024? (Please see response below)

6. The number of people who will qualify to teach Physics in schools in Scotland in 2023/2024? (Please see response below)

Responses to questions 4-6 (enrolments from universities rather than who will qualify).

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of people who will qualify. Information is available on the enrolments to PGDE programmes as at September 2007 and 2023. These are not official statistics and for 2023 there is an additional caveat that this includes an estimate for the University of the West of Scotland.

Subject	2007	2023
Biology	79	94
Chemistry	56	54
Physics	47	38
Primary	1,517	1,043

These intakes relate to PGDE Programmes.

For questions 7-9- The Scottish Government does not currently have the information you requested under Section 17 (1)- 'Information not held' of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

10. Could you provide the equivalent answers to these 9 questions for the year 2007/2008 as well.

10.1 In 2007, 1,166 FTE secondary school teachers reported Biology as their main subject taught.

10.2 In 2007, 1,037 FTE secondary school teachers reported Chemistry as their main subject taught.

10.3 In 2007, 906 FTE secondary school teachers reported Physics as their main subject taught.

11. Could you provide equivalent answers relating to teachers in primary schools for 2023/2024 and 2007/2008 as well.

The vast majority of teachers in primary schools are reported as having primary teaching as their main subject and in any given year there are generally fewer than 5 primary teachers that have a science reported as their main subject.

Teacher numbers by sector from 2006 are available from Table 1.1d in Teacher census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In 2023 there were 25,096 FTE teachers in Primary School.

In 2007, there were 23,829 FTE teachers in Primary School.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.