Teachers are even more valued now than they were before the coronavirus pandemic, an online survey commissioned by the Scottish government shows.

A total of 40 per cent of Scottish adults said that they now valued the role of primary and secondary school teachers more than they did previously, while 20 per cent said that they had learned something new about being a teacher in Scotland since the lockdown.

In the research by YouGov, which was carried out in November and included over 1,000 adults, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of Scottish adults agreed with the statement: “I took primary and secondary school teachers for granted before the coronavirus pandemic.”

Coronavirus: Scottish Parliament backs call for 2,000 extra teachers

Background: Scotland halfway towards Covid teacher numbers target

Data: More than 30,000 pupils absent as a result of Covid-19

The government revealed the survey results as it launched its latest teacher recruitment campaign today in a bid to encourage those who have the passion and the skills to inspire the next generation to apply now. 

Coronavirus: Extra teachers ‘just plugging the gaps’

The Scottish government has committed to employing an extra 1,400 teachers and says it has recruited 1,250 teachers and 155 support staff, with an estimated 200 further teachers and 100 support staff in the pipeline.

However, the EIS teaching union is calling for additional investment in school staff and learning spaces, saying the extra teachers employed to date are only plugging gaps in school staffing caused by Covid-related absence.

On 24 November MSPs supported a motion calling for at least an extra 2,000 teachers to be recruited “to ensure that all schools can maintain safe staffing levels while managing absences due to Covid-19”.