Probationary teachers' struggle for posts and impact on education

“I just don't know what else I can do to get a post. I literally go above and beyond. Jump through every hoop. Have schools saying they want to keep me but with no money to create a post. Kids crying when they find out I'm leaving. Parents complaining when they find out as well. None of it seems to get me a post though.”

The situation is made worse by being able to see, first hand, how desperately the Scottish education system needs more teachers.

“Education is on its knees. The needs of learners are greater than ever and instead of investing heavily to support them and get staff in schools, the government are making cuts, so councils are making cuts. Fewer teachers, bigger classes and the most vulnerable learners without the support they need. That impacts on their behaviour and it's a cascade from there.

“If I could move, I would. However, teaching isn't a 9 till 3 job. I just couldn't juggle the childcare aspect etc without the support of my family. It would just be impossible to do.

“With cuts across the board in education and therefore even fewer positions to apply for, I really don't know what I'll do. I may have to consider leaving the occupation. I need stability and I've been doing this coming on 6 years. It is exhausting.”

Clara’s experience is certainly not unique, but the plight of teachers like her has been brought back to national attention by the actions of North Lanarkshire Council. Last month, the local authority emailed more than 100 teachers days before the summer holidays to tell them that they would not, in fact, have jobs for the following year.

The council pointed the finger at the Scottish Government, claiming that a nearly £4m drop in funding levels had left them unable to keep the teachers in schools, and the political fall-out will no doubt continue. But behind those claims and counter claims will be increasingly desperate people.

In Scotland, new teachers are guaranteed one year of work on completion of their Initial Teacher Education course. This policy is often regarded as a key strength of Scottish education (it is not, for example, replicated in England) and ensures that those new to the profession are able to gain experience. What’s more, it actually allows them to complete their teaching qualifications, which are in fact two-year programmes requiring successful completion of academic work, short-term placements, and – for most – one full year in the classroom.

What happens after that first year, when thousands of new professionals are desperately hoping for a permanent job – but with the Scottish Government recently pledging to increase the number of teachers (and classroom assistants) by 3,500, many are struggling to understand why teachers are being left unemployed.

Ben is one of the teachers who has been directly affected by the situation in North Lanarkshire.

“During training courses this year, probationers were encouraged to stay at the council and were told there is always work available, so I didn’t think it was necessary to be applying for other areas.

“Then, on a Friday evening, I received an email stating that there are limited employment opportunities and HR are unable to offer me a temporary contract.

As a result, Ben is effectively out of work and has no guaranteed income from August.

“Receiving this email on Friday has left me devastated and I am now panicking about what to do for work. The impact this has had on me has been detrimental as I have bills to pay and had plans to save for my first house. I did not expect to finish university and feel so insecure in my teaching career.”

A number of teachers who spoke to The Herald said that they felt they had been misled by local authorities – not just North Lanarkshire – who “dangled the promise of a job” in front of people only to snatch it away at the last minute. Some explicitly stated that they believe the councils in question are trying to prevent staff from applying to other areas.

“Nobody directly says to you that you will definitely have a job,” says Paul. “But they say things like ‘oh, statistically, in the last few years, nobody in this area has been without a job’ to draw you in. They just don’t want to be left short if we all shift and leave.

But I’ve got a little boy and he’s only two and to be told you don’t have a job and are going on the supply register – well no, I’m not doing that. I’m not hanging about every morning waiting to see if I’ve got work.

“They want to have a pool of teachers there that they can use at their leisure which is upsetting people’s lives. It’s just not possible.”

Kenny, another teacher from North Lanarkshire, expressed similar frustrations and concerns: “I was continually promised that if I got a good grade after interview (and had got good reports from the school etc) I would be offered a position. Now I have to apply for jobs out with my area with 2 hour commutes or face getting another job in order to pay my mortgage and feed my 3 kids.”

But, as many people argued, this problem doesn’t just affect young teachers – there are consequences for Scotland as a whole and for a generation of schoolchildren in particular.

Maryam, a physics teacher, says that the situation is actively pushing people out of the profession: “Of the five physics probationers that I know, only one has a permanent job in Scotland. They were the internal candidate in their school when a permanent post was advertised.

“One is moving to England to teach there, another has returned to work as a postdoc researcher. The other two are waiting and hoping for supply work, with one of those two talking about looking internationally but I don’t know how serious they are about it.

“Others I know are being driven away from the profession because, quite simply, there are not enough posts for them and their degrees and skills make them attractive employees outside of teaching.”

Another to be affected is Jack, a now former teacher whose mental health was harmed by the instability facing the profession. He believes that part of the problem is the ‘culture’ around filling teaching posts in some parts of Scotland: “The Friday before the summer holidays I was told by the council that they didn’t have space to keep me for the following year, having sent multiple emails and made phone calls to enquire about what would be happening prior to this.

“I was told I should just go on supply and everything will work out. Supply isn’t guaranteed hours and I didn’t have the financial stability to cover myself if I didn’t get paid a full wage from month to month.

“It seems to be a culture that this is ‘the norm’ and that we have no right to be concerned about how I will pay my bills and rent.

As a result, Jack felt he had little option but to move on.

“I left the teaching profession and now have a secure and permanent job, which has had a positive effect on my mental health.

“It is such a shame because it takes months sometimes for the pupils to trust you in order to behave and listen and therefore learn to their full capability. Then when they finally trust the teacher and have a good relationship with them they are forced to leave. It also has an impact on pupils and I don’t think this is being acknowledged either.

“Although I’m not a teacher anymore and I am happier for it, I don’t want it to keep happening.”

That concern, and the insistence that something must change, is often echoed by those who do have stable, permanent positions, but who can see the impact of instability and insecurity on their colleagues.

Annie, an experienced teacher, told us that it is “sickening” to see so many dedicated teachers “defeated and deflated” by the system.

“I’ve watched two young professionals bawl their eyes out in the past term. One of them is in rented accommodation and is considering taking on a call centre job just to make ends meet come August. The Scottish Government is a shambles at the best of times but this is people’s livelihoods and daily lives on the line.”

“It’s a horrendous situation.”

Last month North Lanarkshire Council told The Herald that a reduction in pupil numbers meant that government funding had dropped by £1.8 million, leaving the local authority unable to maintain current teacher levels. 

The spokesman added that the council’s share of Scottish Government Strategic Equity Funding, used in part to recruit additional teachers, has fallen by £2m for 2023/24.

The spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council added: “It has always been clear that, while the council was able to offer newly qualified teachers employment for this current year, these contracts were temporary and would expire at the end of the year.

"Similarly, where enough vacancies do not exist, probationer teachers have always been placed on the supply list.

“Funding made available to the council by the Scottish Government for teacher recruitment has fallen substantially.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of teachers based on their local needs. However, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting councils to recruit more teachers and support staff. We are providing £145.5 million in this year's Budget specifically to protect increased teacher numbers and where this is not being delivered by a local authority, we will withhold or recoup funding which has been given for this purpose.

“The Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of education bodies, is looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail. This includes, for example, geographical and subject-specific issues, as well as how we can increase diversity within the profession and improve support for early career teachers.”