John Swinney has refused to commit to a past promise to hire 3,500 teachers before 2026, warning of the "enormous financial pressure" the government is under. 

Both the Tories and Labour pushed the new SNP leader on Scotland's schools at his first First Minister's Questions. 

Despite the pledge, made in 2021 when he was Education Secretary, teacher numbers have fallen in recent years.

Meanwhile, cash-strapped SNP-led Glasgow City Council looks set to axe 450 teaching posts over the next three years, with 172 set to disappear this year. 

READ MORE: Glasgow parents, teachers and unions protest school cuts

Mr Swinney told MSPs he wants to make sure Scotland has a “well supported and substantial” number of teachers, he added: “I have to live in the real world of the public finances available to me.”

He added: “I am going to be straight with the public of Scotland, I am going to tell them it the way it is.

“I am going to be clear, we are under enormous financial pressure and my Government is going to have to come to Parliament with information about the challenges we face in the public finances, and we will be doing that in due course.

“I’ve only been the First Minister for 48 hours, not even 48 hours.

“But we will be coming to Parliament to be straight about the challenges we face.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross told him: “We have 250 fewer teachers in Scotland in just the last two years.”

He challenged Mr Swinney four times to say if he is still committed to the pledge to increase teacher numbers by 3,500.

The Tory leader asked him: “Will he, as First Minister, commit to the promise he made the people of Scotland to increase teacher numbers by 3,500?”

He urged Mr Swinney to be “clear and straight with this Parliament and just answer”.

Mr Swinney said the commitment on teacher numbers had been “given in good faith.”

He told MSPs he wanted to “work with our local authority partners to deliver on those commitments”.

“The approach that we take is hugely dependent on the resources that we have available," he warned.

He said the public finances had “deteriorated because of the effect of austerity, because of the cuts that have been made in public expenditure” and also because of “very significant” inflation.

While he said the Scottish Government will “take forward its programme within the resources that are available to us”, he added: “I have to make clear to people, to be straight with the public, which I will be, that public finances are under enormous pressure.”

READ MORE: The reality of teacher cuts across schools in Glasgow

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also pressed Mr Swinney on teacher numbers.

He asked the new First Minister if he will “step in and save the jobs” of teachers in Glasgow.

Mr Sarwar told MSPs: “John Swinney bears responsibility for the broken finances in our councils and the decimation of our education system.”

The First Minister stressed he will not be instructing local authorities what to do.

Mr Swinney said he understands the “challenges that face Glasgow City Council” and he pledged to “engage constructively” with it and local government body Cosla.