The First Minister was attacked for obsessing with independence while allowing a teacher crisis to develop at Perthshire school.
Bev Leslie, the headteacher of Blairgowrie High School, wrote to parents last week asking for those with a “maths or related degree” to help out.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said parents were “furious” to see Nicola Sturgeon threatening another “divisive” referendum when there are not enough teachers to fill classrooms.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon admitted there challenges in teachers recruitment in parts of the country and in certain subjects.
She said they had increased student numbers to the Initial Teacher Education programme and had expanded the range of routes into teaching to address shortages.
The SNP leader said the Blairgowrie leadership was seeking to “identify the teachers that are properly registered teachers to come in and teach maths there”.
Mrs Leslie admitted in the letter last week that the request for parent help was “highly unusual”, but said the school had to be “creative” because of staff departures and recruitment difficulties.
Mrs Leslie later issued a clarification that the aim of the letter was to track down registered maths teachers that are not on the local authority’s supply list.