EAST Lothian Council has denied there is a problem recruiting teachers – despite reports suggesting there were 70 vacancies in the county.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show almost 470 teacher vacancies across the country.

The figures, from June 22, show East Lothian Council as having vacancies for 50 primary school teachers and 20 secondary school teachers.

But Shamin Akhtar, East Lothian Council spokesperson for education and children’s wellbeing, stressed work was being done to ensure as many of the positions were filled ahead of the new school term next month as possible.

She said: “Firstly, East Lothian Council is absolutely focused on teacher recruitment to ensure roles are filled for the new term.

“The number of empty vacancies outlined is misleading, as many of these positions were at the advanced recruitment and selection process stage at the time, which has not been made clear.

“As of July 22, East Lothian Council has successfully filled 56 of the vacancies and will continue the ongoing recruitment process for high-calibre teachers for our young people.” Figures in Edinburgh also showed vacancies, with 10 full-time and 12 part-time posts being advertised.

Ms Akhtar’s Labour colleague, MSP Iain Gray, felt the issue of rising pupil numbers, along with falling teacher numbers, was something that had to be addressed by the Scottish Government.

He told the Courier: “I understand that East Lothian Council is making good progress on recruiting to its vacant teaching posts, with the majority of vacancies highlighted in the FOI figures already having been filled.

“However, it is certainly important to monitor these numbers and ensure that local authorities are able to recruit the staff they need.”