by Zuzana Martinkova

The claim that students from Edinburgh University are being drafted in to teach maths at Trinity Academy is false, according to Councillor Ian Perry.

City of Edinburgh Council have today clarified that both the Scotsman and the Evening news articles that suggested that students will be taking classes give the readers misconceptions.

After two failed advertisements to fill two vacancies of Edinburgh Secondary school after, there started showing up the articles about University math students going to help and teach.

Cllr Ian Perry, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council as the FOI response, said the vacancies are currently being re-advertised. He said: “We have been working closely with the school over filling the vacancies and will continue with the various measures put in place, which has the support of the Parent Council, to minimise disruption to the pupils’ learning. Our priority remains ensuring that the curriculum continues to be delivered to the highest possible standard.”

The University of Edinburgh students are not going to teach maths to classes. The students will not replace teacher. Experienced teachers take the classes with the students assisting pupils with their learning – no student will be taking a maths class on their own.

Also here are some details from the FoI response that the Scotsman received.

“The applicants did not fulfil the essential criteria in one or more areas. The two posts at Trinity have been re-advertised on Myjobscotland with a closing date of next Monday, 27 h November. In the meantime, the school is continuing with the arrangements that have been put in place since the vacancies occurred. There has been a mixture of specialist external supply and non-specialist internal class cover. Rotational arrangements have operated to allow classes to have some subject specialist input and certificate classes, in which pupils will be sitting National Qualification exams in May 2018, have been prioritised. An additional partnership arrangement with the University of Edinburgh has seen third year maths students coming in to school. This begins next week and is planned to run until Easter 2018. The students will be assisting pupils in S2 and in S5 (at National 5 level).”