Rural schools are being disproportionately affected by falling numbers of language teachers. 

According to the recent Scottish Teacher census, there have been huge drops in the number of English, French, German and Italian teachers since 2010.

Analysis by the Scottish Conservatives found that rural schools account for 58.9% of all losses. 

The learning of at least one language is compulsory until the third year of secondary school, and there is growing evidence that they boost brain power and improve performance in other academic areas.

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Nationally, English teacher numbers have declined by 141, from 2,788 in 2010 to 2,647, with rural schools losing 153.

In French, 319 teachers were lost, declining from 947 to 628, and 135 affecting local authorities in remote areas.

German teachers declined by 83, from 166 in 2010, across Scotland, 34 of which came from rural schools.

Meanwhile, Italian teachers declined from 10 in 2010 to seven in 2022. There are currently no rural schools with an Italian teacher.

Since 2010, English teachers increased by nine in Edinburgh and 44 in Glasgow, while French teachers increased by eight in the Capital.

Edinburgh has one Italian teacher and Glasgow now has four.

The fall in the number of teachers comes after recent SQA figures revealed plummeting numbers of pupils taking modern languages at Higher level.

Just 505 students entered Higher German in 2022 compared to 780 in 2020.

Some 3165 pupils took Higher level French in 2020, with the figure dropping to 2500 last year.

In 2020, a total of 2900 students entered Higher Spanish, with the number falling to 2465 two years later.

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Scottish Tory education spokesman Liam Kerr said: “The staggering drop in the number of English and modern language teachers in Scottish schools is just the latest example of pupils suffering due to the SNP’s mismanagement of our education system.

“Teacher numbers are plummeting harder and faster in rural Scotland.

“It’s a recurring trend that those living in remote parts of the country suffer most from the failings of this nationalist coalition.

“We see that with ministers’ failure to dual the A9 and A96, the ferries fiasco, broadband rollout and their potentially devastating fishing restrictions.

“These teachers are vital and losing them is bound to hamper literacy levels in English as well as limiting pupils’ opportunities to learn foreign languages at a time when the economy is becoming more global.

“On a range of metrics, from the attainment gap widening to us tumbling down international league tables, Scotland’s once-proud reputation for excellence in the classroom has been decimated by 16 years of SNP Government."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government is committed to securing recruitment of more teachers across all local authority areas and is supporting councils with an additional £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect increased teacher numbers.

“Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of teachers based on their local needs and the Strategic Board for Teacher Education, made up of a range of education bodies, is also looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail – including geographical and subject-specific issues.

“We’re committed to ensuring all children and young people are equipped with the skills they need for life and work, including language skills which provide essential abilities for an increasingly complex and globalised world and play a key role in helping their understanding of other cultures.”