THE writing has been on the whiteboard for some time about the teacher recruitment crisis.

Options for addressing the issue in Clackmannanshire primary schools sound extreme. Nursery teachers could be moved to teach classes in the area’s primary schools under the plans, when pupils return in the autumn.

This is not an outrageous suggestion. All qualified primary teachers are equipped to teach in pre-school settings as well.

Other measures are proposed by Clackmannanshire. These include turning children away from their catchment areas schools and recruiting more teachers from abroad, but at times of severe shortage it may still mean some schools are unable to run classes for all year groups.

The Scottish Government says it has increased student teacher places for the sixth successive year. But given the alleged priority of education in the SNP Government’s programme, workforce planning with local councils should have solved this before it became so pressing.

There will be concerns Clackmannanshire is downgrading nursery provision by this move. Yet in some ways, the authority is fortunate to have nursery teachers to move into primary posts – many councils ceased to employ teachers in their nurseries some time ago. Other education authorities will not have the same luxury.