Report: Some new teachers in Scotland weak in reading, math skills

Headteachers and university staff in Scotland have raised concerns about the ability of some new teachers to teach reading and mathematics. A report by HM Inspectorate of Education said a minority of school staff thought the skills of some newly qualified teachers (NQTs) were not sufficiently well developed.

"A number of headteachers and NQTs expressed concern about NQTs’ preparedness to teach the basics of reading," the report states. They highlighted deficiencies in the understanding of phonics and how to develop progressively the reading skills of young children. The report, a submission to a Government-backed inquiry into how to improve teacher training, goes on to highlight concerns of headteachers about weak teacher trainees. "Headteachers reported that they still encounter a small but significant number of students they consider to be weak," the report says. "They felt the needs of these students should have been identified by university staff at an earlier stage." Read more in The Herald online.