Teacher Vacancies and Probationer Allocations 2008
This document contains the results of the latest annual survey of teacher and educational psychologist vacancies.
Whilst most vacancies occur at the end of the school year, this survey measures the level of vacancies during term time in order to indicate any possible areas of shortage. It should not therefore be mistaken for the number of job opportunities for new graduates.
The main findings were: -
- There were 607 teacher vacancies advertised at February 2008, equivalent to 1.2 per cent of the full teaching complement. The number of vacancies had decreased from 695 in 2007.
- There were 200 advertised posts which had been vacant for more than three months, 33 per cent of vacancies, and equivalent to 0.4 per cent of the full teaching complement. This number of these vacancies had increased from 138 in 2007, but was still lower than in previous years.
- Vacancy rates were 1.1 per cent in primary (0.3 per cent for more than three months) and 1.2 per cent in secondary (0.5 per cent for more than three months).
- Maths and Home Economics were the subject areas with the highest vacancy rates, with 1.9 and 1.7 per cent respectively (1.2 and 0.9 per cent respectively for more than 3 months). The vacancy rate amongst Gaelic medium teachers in secondary schools was 3.2 per cent.
- In English the vacancy rate was 1.6 per cent (down from 2.2 per cent in 2007). Vacancies lasting for more than three months were 0.7 per cent, equating to eighteen vacancies.
- As at 2 nd June there were 3,445 probationer teachers provisionally allocated to publicly funded schools for 2008/09, 86 per cent of whom were allocated to their first or second choice authorities.