There should be a guaranteed job in the classroom for every available teacher as part of plans to help education “bounce back” after the coronavirus pandemic, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has said.

Addressing the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ spring conference, he said it would take “more for education to bounce back” after children have suffered months of disruption to their learning.

Mr Rennie said there must be “more in-class support for children who need it” and more resources in every classroom, and he called for the Scottish government’s Pupil Equity Fund to be improved.

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He added: “This isn’t about making children sit at desks for longer - it’s about making every hour in school count for more.

Covid: Guarantee a job for every available teacher, says Willie Rennie

“It means getting every trained teacher, and every available pupil support assistant, into classrooms, not on the waiting list for a supply day, [and] a guaranteed job for every available teacher to help us cut class sizes.”

Mr Rennie insisted that the Liberal Democrats would put “recovery first for education”.

He added: “We need the talents of everyone in education, just like we needed everyone possible for our NHS.

“With this investment, we can bounce back for our children.”