Our schools have lost nearly 1,000 English and Maths teachers since the SNP came to office.

Parents will be very angry when they see this evidence of the decline in teacher numbers, especially in core subjects like English and Maths.

This comes at the same time as worrying reductions in subject choice - the damning evidence for which is currently before the education committee at Holyrood.

It is completely unacceptable that the SNP has allowed this situation to develop that will likely hit the poorest in our society the hardest.

They were warned about the implications several years ago and ministers have done nothing to address the problem. Meanwhile, young people in our classrooms are losing out on vital education.

Cllr Alastair Redman