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Anonymous survey answerSurvey Nº 263

During the period before my contract, remortgaging was difficult because while I was earning full time pay, mortgage companies did not want to accept me because I was not permanent.

Only took two days off when my Mum died

Published 5 October 2026 · 1 min read

Employment situation
Permanent post
Sector
Primary

I had worked at the exact same council in the exact same school from my probation year in [year removed] and was bounced between supply and temporary contracts until the union were able to fight my case and I earned a permanent contract in [year removed]. During the period before my contract, remortgaging was difficult because while I was earning full time pay, mortgage companies did not want to accept me because I was not permanent.

I also had my Mum die in [year removed] and only took 2 days off due to fears of taking any longer off and that being put as a break in service.

This is answer 263 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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