Teacher voices
Teachers in Scotland describe what insecure work has meant for them: the uncertainty, the repeated applications and the plans put on hold. Every account is anonymous and shared with consent.
My probationary year was cut short by the Covid outbreak in 2020, so East Dunbartonshire Council offered me a further one-year contract.
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296 of 296 accounts
Unfortunately, since returning to Glasgow, I have still been unable to secure a place on a supply list, and every application I have made for a primary teaching post, whether permanent or fixed-term, has been rejected before reaching interview stage.
Teacher seeking a post · 1–5 years’ experience
Daily supply · Chasing interviews · Money worries
What I find particularly difficult is knowing how many qualified teachers are actively looking for secure work while permanent opportunities remain so limited.
6–10 years · 2 min read
I left Scotland 25 years ago to work in a high performing International School where I was Deputy Head for more than 15 years.
Over 20 years · 1 min read
Throughout my 5 years in teaching I have found gaining stability employment is incredibly difficult. Fixed term contracts being cut off around about exam time or before timetable change, some contracts only lasting a few months and then hoonf there will be enough supply work t…
1–5 years · 2 min read
It can feel as though experience is actually working against teachers. Experienced teachers come with a higher salary cost, and with councils facing huge financial pressures, it can feel like there is an incentive to employ someone newer to the profession because they cost les…
6–10 years · 3 min read
Lack of permanent primary teaching jobs meant that I was on supply since I returned to Scotland 10 years ago. As an experienced teacher, at the top of the payscale, I wasn't getting chosen by schools on the Teacher Booker hiring app because I was too expensive. Due to not ge…
11–20 years · 1 min read
Instead of feeling like I have accomplished my probation year and feeling proud of myself, I feel I am being punished. It is soul destroying.
Primary · 1 min read
I have been successful twice for permanent position only to be told later that afternoon that the position would be cancelled and an NQT would fill the position.
Secondary · 1 min read
The information given on Teacher Booker makes it obvious through years of service how far up the scale you may be.
Primary · 1 min read
I now feel I am sitting here with a degree I cannot use and the more time goes on the more I feel a permanent job is not going to happen for me.
6 min read
I completed my probation year 25/26 and was completely let down by my council who had promised us interviews for permanence from the start. They completely pivoted and told us it was unlikely we would receive any work until January 2027. When they did advertise jobs they had d…
1–5 years · 1 min read
The hardest part for me is that the instability goes far beyond work. At 34, I'm living at home with my parents because I haven't been able to secure the permanent employment that would allow me to properly establish myself again in Scotland. I want to build a career, have my…
11–20 years · 3 min read
I have been on antidepressants, I have attended counciling, I have lost friends and relationships because the reality of teaching is dreary and completely changes you as a person. I have contacted my local MSP’s, I am proactive in seeking opportunities but the reality is that…
1–5 years · 3 min read
I find it ridiculous that not only are full time employment opportunities scarce, but we are also being denied the opportunity to do supply in other council areas, including my own.
1–5 years · 1 min read
I went on maternity leave during my second year during this job and found out 5 months postpartum that I would not have a job to return to and would be returning to supply (despite having 5 months left on my contract).
Primary · 1 min read
I want to have children and with the uncertainty of a job, how can I know I will be able to support a family?
Primary · 1 min read
I feel changing career due to advertisements from SNP has stolen my chance at having another child.
More than one sector · 1 min read
And yet, I still want to teach, I'm still trying to 'be a proper teacher'-because for the past 10 years I've only been a supply teacher.
6–10 years · 2 min read
From my probation cohort of 187 probationers, 5 were given permanency. It came at no surprise that all 5 of those people had a parent who was a head teacher in that authority. Some people went to the union about this clear show of nepotism, but they were told there was nothing…
6–10 years · 4 min read
Because I wanted to continue working as a teacher rather than leave the profession I made the decision to move to England to look for better employment opportunities. My move was therefore a positive decision to continue my teaching career and find more stability rather than a…
1–5 years · 2 min read
The notion of introducing a 3 year probationary year is a true slap in the face for us who have travelled, built strong experience and worked hard. This is merely a way to cut budgets for “expensive” teachers and continue the revolving door of probationers. The SNP should be a…
6–10 years · 1 min read
It can mean spending years moving between temporary contracts, fixed-term posts and supply work, repeatedly proving yourself in classrooms while still having no meaningful job security.
Primary · 2 min read
I would be willing to gain the university credits to teach Modern Studies, but can’t justify the cost whilst I do not have permanent employment.
Secondary · 1 min read
As a result, I spent the majority of my leave anxious about employment and finances, and unable to just enjoy our new baby.
Primary · 2 min read
They say in interview about experience, however where and when am I going to get this experience when I am in the constant cycle of doing supply work?
Secondary · 1 min read
25 of 296 shown
The collection includes written answers from the Scottish Teacher Employment Survey 2026, published with each teacher's permission to quote them anonymously, and the campaign's original accounts from November 2024, recovered from the former website. They are individual testimony; they do not represent every teacher's experience. Ages are shown by decade to protect anonymity.
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