This year the competition for the posts varied from 49 for each job in Shetland. According to the Liberal Democrats these figures prove that teachers' talents were "being wasted". Education Secretary Michael Russell is concerned about such numbers. Actually, on average 17 applicants are chasing each teaching post. Out of 75,579 applications, 14applicants were applying for a job in Aberdeenshire, 21 in Dundee, 27 in Edinburgh and 6 in Glasgow. The highest numbers were in Midlothian – 47, in East Renfrewshire – 37 and 33 in North Lanarkshire and the lowest in the Western Isles and Dumfries and Galloway, five and four correspondingly.
Margaret Smith, the Lib Dem education spokeswoman, said these figures "will be deeply concerning for teachers". She considers that teenagers will miss the opportunity "to learn from from newly-trained, enthusiastic teachers who have a wealth of talent and skill, being wasted as they struggle to find jobs."
Education Secretary Michael Russell noticed in his essay: "While recent figures show that teacher unemployment is lower in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, we are still working hard to address the issue and have cut student intake, which will reduce competition for jobs."
