Probationer teachers welcomed to the Highlands
Over 100 probationer teachers were welcomed to the Highlands today at an induction meeting held at Milton of Leys Primary School, Inverness by Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee.
Hugh Fraser, Highland Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport also welcomed the 103 probationers starting in the 2012/13 academic year. The number of probationers is a 28% increase on the 2011/12 intake which saw 80 probationers last year working in Highland schools.
The new teachers will be starting work in schools across the Highlands next week. Primary pupils return to school following their summer break on Tuesday 14 August while Secondary pupils return on Wednesday 15 August (due to in-service teacher training).
In total, 49 probationers have been allocated to secondary schools and 54 to primary schools in the Highlands.
The number of probationer teachers in primary schools in each area is: 8 in Caithness, 4 in Sutherland, 18 in Inverness, 10 in Ross and Cromarty, 5 in Skye and Lochalsh, 8 in Lochaber, and 1 in Badenoch and Strathspey.
The 49 probationer teachers in secondary schools are located in each area as follows: 7 in Caithness, 5 in Sutherland, 11 in Inverness, 6 in Ross and Cromarty, 3 in Nairn, 1 on the Isle of Skye, 9 in Lochaber, and 7 in Badenoch and Strathspey.
The number of secondary school probationers who will be working in the following subjects are: Art and Design (3), Biology with Science (2), Computing (1), English (7), French (1), Gaelic (2), Geography (2), History (7), Home Economics (2), Mathematics (9), Modern Studies (1), Music (4), Physical Education (4), Physics with Science (2), and Technological Education (2).
Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee, said: “I am delighted that the Council is playing an active role in providing these teachers with a start to their educational careers in the Highlands. Their talent and enthusiasm fresh from teacher training is extremely welcome among our schools and I am sure that our pupils will benefit greatly from their teaching.”
The probationer induction day is the first of a number of in-service training days throughout the year specifically allocated to probationer teacher induction and training.