GRADUATES are shunning the teaching profession because promotion is only for the “elite few”, a union leader has said.

The warning comes after the widespread removal of principal teacher posts in secondary schools across the country as part of cuts.

Instead, councils have set up faculty structures where different subjects are grouped together under one promoted teacher.

The Scottish Government also scrapped a separate programme to allow school staff to earn more by training to be Chartered Teachers.

Euan Duncan, president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA), said the widespread use of the faculty system had cut off vital promotion prospects.

He said: “Education authorities throughout Scotland have been stripping out principal teacher posts... to save money, removing important planks of leadership and weakening the middle.

“There is plenty of evidence that almost all graduates are attracted by opportunities for career progression and if teaching is perceived as offering progression only for an elite few then graduates will look elsewhere.”

Mr Duncan highlighted figures which show there were 730 unfilled vacancies in Scotland at the time of the last teacher census and 861 teachers who left the profession before reaching their mid forties.

He added: “The flatter promotion structure which has drifted into place means that far fewer opportunities exist for skilled people to achieve promotion.

“A few talented individuals may rise to the top helium-style, but for many other excellent teachers the wind is taken out of their sails through lack of opportunity.”

The SSTA is now calling for more promoted posts to be created in schools to allow for leadership skills to be more widely developed.

The issue was also raised by the General Teaching Council for Scotland in a recent submission to the Scottish Parliament’s education committee.

Its submission said: “Some teachers get to a point where they want to have a greater influence on their school and community and at this stage think they are ready for promotion.

“Some teachers are inspired and coached by colleagues to gain the skills to be able to lead others successfully, but not all teachers want to operate in this type of management role which essentially takes them from the classroom and from teaching and learning.

“At present there is no defined role for a teacher who would wish to be recognised for their leadership of learning in the classroom.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservative Party has called for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to introduce a controversial scheme to get more graduates directly into the classroom.

Nearly 200 graduates have left Scotland since 2012 to join a fast-track scheme in England called Teach First, which offers accelerated training.

The scheme has been ruled out in Scotland over fears it damages quality because individuals involved can teach a class after just a few weeks training. Those that successfully complete it can register to teach in Scotland at a later date.

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “Everyone accepts that there aren’t enough teachers in Scotland, but for reasons known only to herself, Nicola Sturgeon repeatedly refuses to implement the successful Teach First scheme.”

The First Minister said discussions were ongoing with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, councils and schools to address teacher recruitment issues.

Mr Duncan will raise the issue at the annual congress of the SSTA in Crieff.