A teaching union rep has warned that Dundee school teachers are becoming increasingly frustrated by the dwindling pool of supply staff.
Dundee EIS secretary David Baxter revealed he has been approached by a number of primary and secondary teachers who have expressed concerns about teaching numbers.
Mr Baxter, who also works as a teacher, claims local schools are finding it difficult to find “enough bodies to fill the gaps”.
His warning comes just days after The Courier revealed children from Dundee’s St Paul’s RC Academy had to watch a DVD due to lack of available teachers.
Mr Baxter said: “It’s the first time I’ve heard of something like that happening in Dundee, but there’s just not enough staff in schools.
“There’s no supply at the moment post-2011 the supply numbers disappear.
“We can’t get people to stand in front of classes. Quite a few teachers have come to me about a lack of supply.”
The issues facing Dundee primary and secondary schools reflect the overall Scottish situation.
However, Mr Baxter remains concerned by the staffing predicament in the city.
“The local perspective is the same as the national one,” said Mr Baxter.
“If people are off or on maternity then it’s very difficult to get teachers in.
“The teachers who have come to me are very concerned about having their reduced contract time cut because they need time to prepare lessons.
“We have a pool of supply teachers who are already classroom committed.”
It emerged last week classes from St Paul’s were grouped in a gym hall and shown a DVD due to insufficient teaching cover.
It is understood the school has resorted to such measures intermittently in the past.
In an email seen by The Courier, Dundee’s director of education, Michael Wood, admitted the school had been impacted by short-term absences in recent times, but insisted that pupils would only be brought together in “exceptional circumstances”.
Dundee City Council insists it is doing all it can to plug staffing gaps.
A council spokesman added: “If any parent or carer has any concerns about their child’s education, they should contact the school to discuss these with staff directly.”