Many applying for teaching places at university have no idea about the current lack of employment prospects and should be properly informed prior to embarking on university courses.
I had a colleague who had no idea about the lack of jobs, left a secure job to enter teaching and then had to sell his house after his probationary year as he couldn’t find employment. He then later uprooted his family and moved to England to find work.
Those making decisions should not underestimate the impact of temporary or insecure employment on your life. I have delayed a lot of life decisions and have been extremely anxious about my financial position for the past 3 years because of uncertainty over when I could secure a permanent contract.
I am extremely fortunate that I secured a permanent contract just this week and the weight that has come off my shoulders has been massive. I can finally buy a new car, I can start family planning and just reduce the general anxiety I have held for 3 years.
I also entered into £8000 of student debt to do a masters in Inclusive Education to make myself more employable and move into ASN. This has paid off as I secured a permanent contract a year after the masters but this was only possible because I have a partner who supported me during the masters degree. I will now pay this debt off plus interest for years to come.
Senior leaders in schools should be more empathetic to the situation of supply teachers and be kinder. Not having a permanent job takes a toll on you.
This is answer 62 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.