Once more we’re grateful to a Tory MSP, trawling for bad news with a parliamentary question, but stumbling on good news we can report. See this from Tom Mason (Tory MSP) with reply from SNP minister John Swinney:
To further clarify things, here are the 2016 pupil-teacher ratios for the four UK areas:
Wales: 18.6 pupils for every teacher
N Ireland: 17.6 pupils for every teacher
England: 17.4 pupils for every teacher
Scotland: 13.7 pupils for every teacher
So, a considerably greater number of teachers per pupil in Scotland?
Wales: school.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk or http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/schoolscensus/?skip=1&lang=en
Scotland: school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/SchoolEducation
Northern Ireland: statistics@deni.gov.uk or http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/facts-and-figuresnew/education-statistics.htm
And for more, much more, on why the situation in Scottish schools is so much better than our NoMedia would have you believe:
Forget PISA’s tiny unreliable samples: Scotland has the best school attainment outcomes in the UK because it has the most teachers per pupil
Boom! 35% fewer vacancies in Schools and 15% more student teachers
Despite Scotsman scare story, English schools spending 50% more on supply teachers than better-staffed Scottish schools.
Scottish teachers report lower job demands, better relationships and lower perceived stress levels than those in England and only 4% are considering leaving their jobs
Talking-up Scotland 
The Scottish Government are doing it deliberately.
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