The revelation that schools can no longer find supply teachers after cutting their wages by 40 per cent is not surprising.

The true test of the Education Secretary’s resolve will not be in admitting there is a problem, but in putting a solution in place.

Ten years ago Mike Russell was so concerned about the availability of supply teachers as a result of winter flu that he challenged the First Minister to ensure Scotland’s schoolchildren did not suffer.

Now that his party is running the country, he has the chance to do something about it. Returning to a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work would be a start.

Donald Macdonald, Glasgow.