Official statistics show that while many teachers yearn for early retirement, comparatively few achieve it. Last year there were only 86 cases throughout Scotland.
Jack McConnell, Education Minister, has published annual figures since 1995-96 which show a gently declining number of early retirements from 294 to 196 in 1998-1999. There was a significant blip in 1996-97 when 1,758 teachers left early, but the McCrone report put this down to an early retirement scheme tht year. This had a knock-on effect, “reducing the figures in the immediately following years”.
Last session there were no early retirements recorded for Edinburgh and only five in Glasgow. Aberdeenshire topped the council table with 17 followed by Perth and Kinross with 12, East Ayrshire (11) and South Lanarkshire (10).
Richard Lochhead of the SNP had asked for the number of teachers who resigned as well, but was told no information is held centrally.