I took a maternity cover to start straight after my probation ended quite far away from my home. I thought that after a few years I would be able to get a job closer to home. I was unwilling to leave teaching after probation after dedicating 6 years of my life to becoming a teacher.
Now 6 years on, I am still commuting an hour and twenty minutes to and from work every day because there are no jobs for Modern Studies teachers closer to my home. I am newly married and now cannot start a family because of my time commitment to driving to work.
I am unable to look for work outside of teaching as I am salary trapped. I feel helpless and don’t know what to do. I got into teaching to make a positive difference and it is ruining my life and happiness.
This is answer 33 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.