Just 23 per cent of teachers say they would “certainly” retrain as a teacher if given the option to go back in time and choose their career path again, new data shows.
The figure, taken from a survey of over 8,000 teachers in the UK by Teacher Tapp, is even more notable when compared to the fact 42 per cent of teachers said they would train again as a teacher in 2018, showing the last five years have been especially tough.
However, while the stress and upheavals of the pandemic will undoubtedly have played a part in this, the biggest drop of 10 per cent happened between 2022 and 2023.
Laura McInerney, co-founder of Teacher Tapp, said this suggested the rising cost of living and the erosion of teacher pay had a big impact on how respondents answered the question this year.
“Teachers may be looking at people in other professions, like their counterparts at university who are better paid, and considering whether they would have been able to weather the cost-of-living crisis better in those jobs,” she told Tes.
The data from Teacher Tapp also noted that response rates were worse in primary schools, with just 21 per cent saying they would train for the role again, compared to 25 per cent of secondary school teachers.
The survey findings also suggest that while many teachers revealed they entered the profession in the 1990s and 2000s due to the prospect of a good income that could “be managed around family life”, that now feels far less likely.
“Increasingly, that feels harder to achieve, which may be the reason for this incredibly worrying statistic,” the Teacher Tapp blog states.
The figures chime with wider sector concerns on numerous related factors such as declining recruitment and retention, strikes over pay and issues with the Ofsted inspection framework and the stress it causes leaders.
Responding to the findings general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Geoff Barton, said the data made for “grim reading” and was clear evidence these concerns are making the profession less attractive than it once was.
“It fits a pattern of government recruitment targets being repeatedly missed, increasing numbers leaving the profession for jobs elsewhere, and consequent teacher shortages that have only worsened,” he told Tes.
“Fixing this problem is a matter of urgency but the government has utterly failed to take the action necessary to value and sustain a viable workforce.”
Ben Jones
I’m nearly done with my teacher training. I’m probably not going to work in a school. Why? Because the workloads are too high and the pay isn’t great compared to other jobs. I’m going to get pushed to work in a way I don’t think benefits children and tested on a load of things that aren’t reflective of what makes me a good teacher.
I love children. I’ve worked in early years settings since I was 16. I have a level 3 and level 4 qualifications, in early years. I’m highly skilled and very well qualified. I’m exactly the sort of person that the education sector should want teaching. But I won’t because the job just doesn’t pay enough.
I’m not surprised by this stat. Wife is a teacher, leaving the profession at end of summer term after over decade of teaching.
She’s fed up working 70 hour weeks, working during holidays to catch up, not seeing our own kids, constantly tired and anxious that she’s not doing enough.
No stats for other professions, I bet that’s about standard, surely even just for variety you’d try something new
I got a maths PGCE in 2014, did my QTS year but couldn’t face another year so quit. The job burns through people at an incredible rate , the ones that stick at it are near super human in my eyes.
In the words of a teacher I spoke to yesterday:
‘I just don’t want to keep working so hard for so little.’
We really need to improve training for teachers… 23% of them are idiots.
Oops, I’m retraining to become a teacher after a short stint as an architect…
That said, it felt like everyone in my original profession wished they had never studied to become an architect. Out of the fire and into the frying pan perhaps!
The kids are great for the most art but the bureaucracy is insane. A semi-retired supply teacher I spoke to on my training said teaching was so different to when she started out. She said there was very little paperwork, teachers had much more autonomy, and they were respected in the community. She could not believe what teaching had become and I do not blame her. I spent more time doing paperwork for me/the school/OFTSED than I spent doing things that would actually help the kids learn. It was like fun and learning were secondary to ticking boxes.
The entire system carried by sunk cost fallacy…
The day these workers start chasing pay in private sector with their degrees, it’s actually over…
I’ve taught abroad as an English teacher and I know many people transition from that to PGCEs. Very few of them end up in the UK though – far better jobs in other countries where pay is good, workload is manageable and you don’t have to worry about violent pupils.
Flight of teachers from education? I wonder why?
Perhaps our party of free market regulation has done a really shit job of applying regulations with respect to the free market
I looked at transferring to teaching after 20+ years in another career. I have numerous professional qualifications up to Level 7, have teaching experience and 20 years of lived experiences.
1) starting pay is 66% less than I earn now.
2) no recognition of prior experience.
3) no recognition of prior education.
4) friends who are teachers told me I must be mad.
All-in-all, am now looking elsewhere. Shame as I am good at it and would enjoy it. However they have to make the role attractive – and it certainly is not.
23% sounds high to me to be honest. I like my job but if I could do it all again I wouldn’t pick this. Most teachers I know love teaching, they just hate the compensation. So many industries in this country are run on passion alone.
For the abuse teachers deal with, they need to be paid more to give some kind of incentive to work. There’s a reason why many are quiting, not to mention the awful work conditions and stress
15 comments
Just 23 per cent of teachers say they would “certainly” retrain as a teacher if given the option to go back in time and choose their career path again, new data shows.
The figure, taken from a survey of over 8,000 teachers in the UK by Teacher Tapp, is even more notable when compared to the fact 42 per cent of teachers said they would train again as a teacher in 2018, showing the last five years have been especially tough.
However, while the stress and upheavals of the pandemic will undoubtedly have played a part in this, the biggest drop of 10 per cent happened between 2022 and 2023.
Laura McInerney, co-founder of Teacher Tapp, said this suggested the rising cost of living and the erosion of teacher pay had a big impact on how respondents answered the question this year.
“Teachers may be looking at people in other professions, like their counterparts at university who are better paid, and considering whether they would have been able to weather the cost-of-living crisis better in those jobs,” she told Tes.
The data from Teacher Tapp also noted that response rates were worse in primary schools, with just 21 per cent saying they would train for the role again, compared to 25 per cent of secondary school teachers.
The survey findings also suggest that while many teachers revealed they entered the profession in the 1990s and 2000s due to the prospect of a good income that could “be managed around family life”, that now feels far less likely.
“Increasingly, that feels harder to achieve, which may be the reason for this incredibly worrying statistic,” the Teacher Tapp blog states.
The figures chime with wider sector concerns on numerous related factors such as declining recruitment and retention, strikes over pay and issues with the Ofsted inspection framework and the stress it causes leaders.
Responding to the findings general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Geoff Barton, said the data made for “grim reading” and was clear evidence these concerns are making the profession less attractive than it once was.
“It fits a pattern of government recruitment targets being repeatedly missed, increasing numbers leaving the profession for jobs elsewhere, and consequent teacher shortages that have only worsened,” he told Tes.
“Fixing this problem is a matter of urgency but the government has utterly failed to take the action necessary to value and sustain a viable workforce.”
Ben Jones
I’m nearly done with my teacher training. I’m probably not going to work in a school. Why? Because the workloads are too high and the pay isn’t great compared to other jobs. I’m going to get pushed to work in a way I don’t think benefits children and tested on a load of things that aren’t reflective of what makes me a good teacher.
I love children. I’ve worked in early years settings since I was 16. I have a level 3 and level 4 qualifications, in early years. I’m highly skilled and very well qualified. I’m exactly the sort of person that the education sector should want teaching. But I won’t because the job just doesn’t pay enough.
I’m not surprised by this stat. Wife is a teacher, leaving the profession at end of summer term after over decade of teaching.
She’s fed up working 70 hour weeks, working during holidays to catch up, not seeing our own kids, constantly tired and anxious that she’s not doing enough.
No stats for other professions, I bet that’s about standard, surely even just for variety you’d try something new
I got a maths PGCE in 2014, did my QTS year but couldn’t face another year so quit. The job burns through people at an incredible rate , the ones that stick at it are near super human in my eyes.
In the words of a teacher I spoke to yesterday:
‘I just don’t want to keep working so hard for so little.’
We really need to improve training for teachers… 23% of them are idiots.
Oops, I’m retraining to become a teacher after a short stint as an architect…
That said, it felt like everyone in my original profession wished they had never studied to become an architect. Out of the fire and into the frying pan perhaps!
The kids are great for the most art but the bureaucracy is insane. A semi-retired supply teacher I spoke to on my training said teaching was so different to when she started out. She said there was very little paperwork, teachers had much more autonomy, and they were respected in the community. She could not believe what teaching had become and I do not blame her. I spent more time doing paperwork for me/the school/OFTSED than I spent doing things that would actually help the kids learn. It was like fun and learning were secondary to ticking boxes.
The entire system carried by sunk cost fallacy…
The day these workers start chasing pay in private sector with their degrees, it’s actually over…
I’ve taught abroad as an English teacher and I know many people transition from that to PGCEs. Very few of them end up in the UK though – far better jobs in other countries where pay is good, workload is manageable and you don’t have to worry about violent pupils.
Flight of teachers from education? I wonder why?
Perhaps our party of free market regulation has done a really shit job of applying regulations with respect to the free market
I looked at transferring to teaching after 20+ years in another career. I have numerous professional qualifications up to Level 7, have teaching experience and 20 years of lived experiences.
1) starting pay is 66% less than I earn now.
2) no recognition of prior experience.
3) no recognition of prior education.
4) friends who are teachers told me I must be mad.
All-in-all, am now looking elsewhere. Shame as I am good at it and would enjoy it. However they have to make the role attractive – and it certainly is not.
23% sounds high to me to be honest. I like my job but if I could do it all again I wouldn’t pick this. Most teachers I know love teaching, they just hate the compensation. So many industries in this country are run on passion alone.
For the abuse teachers deal with, they need to be paid more to give some kind of incentive to work. There’s a reason why many are quiting, not to mention the awful work conditions and stress