The education service in Strathclyde is trapped in the vicious circle of deprivation around the industrial heart of the region, says Mr Edward Miller, director of education, in a report to the education committee.

The education service in Strathclyde, the largest public service in the United Kingdom, has inherited grave deficiencies in staffing and building.

“Deprived areas are not able to produce sufficient teachers for their schools, which diminishes the quality of the education service they provide, which results in an inability to produce sufficient teachers ...”

Strathclyde have a shortage of 1,025 secondary and 400 primary teachers by national standards I “Much more money has to be spent on making teaching in Strathclyde more attractive.

“Since the rest of Scotland appears to have a surplus of teachers, a case could be made for assigning I money set aside by the central authority I to a Strathclyde allowance supplementary to national salary scales,” Mr Miller said.

Other inducements to overcome “the gravest teacher shortage of any local authority in the United Kingdom” might include: disturbance allowances and removal expenses to experienced teachers moving into the region, assistance with house purchase, provision of housing and hostel accommodation for single teachers, payment of fares and fees for teachers coming from abroad, and travelling expenses within the region to those teaching in areas of need.

Mr Miller says that “until Strathclyde overcomes its teacher shortage, its education service cannot hope to overcome its other deficiencies and inadequacies.”