It has been deeply unsettling to be working as a teacher during this current period of uncertainty. I have studied and worked for years to reach this point in my career, yet I still find myself unable to make secure plans for my future.
I have been fortunate enough to secure employment continuously since completing my probationary year. Following probation, I moved councils after being placed in my fourth-choice local authority, in the hope of finding greater stability and opportunities to establish myself within a school community.
I recognise how fortunate I have been to remain in employment and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have been given. However, this does not take away from the worry and uncertainty that I continue to experience.
Teaching is a career I have invested significant time, effort and commitment into, and it is difficult to feel that, despite this, my future remains so uncertain. The lack of security makes it challenging to plan ahead, both professionally and personally, and creates an ongoing sense of anxiety about what the coming months and years may look like.
This is answer 239 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.