The Teacher Census 2018, published this week, shows that since 2010, 15 fewer Lothian secondary school teachers are taking English as their main subject, a drop from 366 to 351.
In addition, there are 26 fewer secondary school Maths teachers than there were in 2010. Over the last eight years, the number of secondary school teachers taking Maths as their main subject has declined from 349 to 323.
This represents a combined drop in Maths and English teachers in Scottish schools of 41 since 2010.
Secondary school French teachers in Edinburgh and the Lothians have also dropped by 27 over the same period.
The Scottish Conservatives have said that the SNP’s inaction on this issue is ‘completely unacceptable’.
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “This decline in teachers numbers for the core subjects of Maths and English will be deeply worrying for parents.
“The Education Committee at Holyrood are currently debating concerns around the reduction in subject choice and the drop in teachers numbers for the core subjects of Maths and English will be another concern to deal with.
“It is completely unacceptable that the SNP has allowed this situation to develop.
“It is vital that schools in Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian have enough Maths and English teachers to provide our young people with high quality education for their development.”
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