Thank you. That concludes general questions. We move to First Minister's questions.

And at question number one, I call Russell Finley.

Thank you, Mr. Scotland's schools are critical to the fortunes and future of our country.

But after 17 years of SNP rule, pupils and teachers are being failed.

The SNP's 2021 manifesto promised to increase

teacher numbers by 3,500. Therefore, at the very least, they should be rising. So,

First Minister, are they?

On Tuesday, the annual teacher census reported that there has been a reduction from last year

to this year of 621 in teacher numbers.

That was the subject of a statement which the Cabinet Secretary for Education gave to Parliament

on Tuesday.

In response to that, the Government, as part of the Budget Settlement, has negotiated an agreement

with local authorities in which the Government and local authorities will work together

to ensure that teacher numbers are restored to

2023 levels, which means that over the course of the next year, teacher numbers will increase.

As the First Minister just admitted, Scottish Government figures this week show that

teacher numbers are not up 3,500 as SNP promised, but down by 600

in this year alone.

As Education Secretary, John Swinney himself promised more teachers, but instead there are

fewer and he won't ever accept responsibility.

So does he at least accept that fewer teachers are having a negative impact

in Scotland's classrooms?

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