Workforce planning in the education sector: FOI release

Information requested

Data from Councils: Please provide any data or reports received from local councils regarding workforce planning, specifically related to teacher numbers, recruitment, and employment conditions.

Participants in Workforce Planning: Please identify the individuals or bodies involved in the workforce planning process. For each participant, I would like to understand:

• The reasoning behind their involvement in workforce planning.
• What information or expertise each participant contributes to the planning process.
• Ensuring Unbiased Decision-Making: What steps has the Scottish Government taken to ensure that all parties involved in the workforce planning decision-making process are unbiased and not motivated by financial gain or the provision of free labour?

Response

Data from Councils: Please provide any data or reports received from local councils regarding workforce planning, specifically related to teacher numbers, recruitment, and employment conditions.

The Scottish Government uses teacher census data submitted by local councils. Statistics from the teacher census are published on the Scottish Government website here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/

Participants in Workforce Planning: Please identify the individuals or bodies involved in the workforce planning process.

The following organisations are represented on the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group (TWPAG).

• Scottish Government (Joint Chair)
• Scottish Council of Deans of Education (Joint Chair)
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland Resources Network
• Association of Headteacher and Deputes in Scotland
• COSLA
• General Teaching Council for Scotland
• Scottish Funding Council
• School Leaders Scotland
• Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers
• Society of Personnel Directors in Scotland
• Society of Personnel & Development Scotland
• Universities Scotland

The reasoning behind their involvement in workforce planning. What information or expertise each participant contributes to the planning process.

Each organisation has a specific interest and role in teaching workforce planning and in determining the numbers needed at a national level. They will bring individual knowledge and experiences that are current to the wider discussion on teacher workforce planning. This allows for the capture of a wide range of views that enable a full and proper consideration of issues affecting teacher workforce planning.

Ensuring Unbiased Decision-Making: What steps has the Scottish Government taken to ensure that all parties involved in the workforce planning decision-making process are unbiased and not motivated by financial gain or the provision of free labour?

The Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group considers:

• the workforce planning process: in particular, the distribution of secondary subjects amongst universities and that the process reflects geographical needs
• the method of potential clawback of funding from universities for under-recruitment and penalties for over-recruitment to programmes
• what further improvements should feed into the teacher workforce planning process
• the key factors affecting teacher supply and the aspects which should be drawn to the Scottish Funding Council's attention in ministers' guidance on initial teacher education
• advice on teacher recruitment publicity activity

All organisations aim to achieve an outcome to the planning process that is fair and effective. This will be through robust discussion where views can be challenged and subject to scrutiny. All papers including minutes of meetings can be found at https://www.gov.scot/groups/teacher-workforce-planningadvisory-group/

About FOI

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