I am unable to claim benefits as I have not paid enough NI due to not having enough work in the 3 years since returning back to Scotland. I am a teacher with over 20 years’ experience and can not get work because of probationers filling posts and councils ([council removed]) continually using freebie probationer to plug posts. They haven’t opened their supply list for [their subject] in at least 5 years!
Being unemployed for large periods of time is hugely demoralising and extremely stressful on my family. I may have to sell my home. I wrote to [a government minister] and [my] local MSP only to receive a ridiculously tone deaf response suggesting I retrain into a STEM subject area!
This is answer 171 of the 269 written answers that teachers let us quote anonymously in the Scottish Teacher Employment Survey 2026. It answers the survey’s last question: what do the people who make decisions about teacher employment need to know?
We have corrected spelling, added paragraph breaks and removed details that could identify anyone. Words in square brackets are ours.