Anonymous survey answerSurvey Nº 231

The need for teachers is growing massively and the conditions for permanent teachers are getting worse. Teachers looking for jobs cannot get anything.

Offer early retirement to clear space for new teachers

Published 5 October 2026 · 1 min read

Employment situation: On a supply list, no work
Sector: Primary

The need for teachers is growing massively and the conditions for permanent teachers are getting worse. Teachers looking for jobs cannot get anything. There needs to be a massive change, for example the introduction of team teaching as an additional option.

The government need to put more money in education and need to be in contact with councils to ensure that it is going towards jobs. Older teachers should be given the option of early retirement to clear space for new teachers.

This is answer 231 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.

Every answer in the report (PDF) Survey results

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