‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’
By JB
The headline above is from Teachers Education Supplement magazine 2019 in an article about a teacher from England who came to work in Scotland.
“Teachers have a far better time of it north of the border, says this educator who has experienced school life in both countries”
He goes on to say that “On balance, I think teaching in the Scottish state- education system is better than in the English one. It seems foolish now that I never considered there would be differences; it’s just that my English-centric view had me assume that the two systems would be identical. Believe me, they are not.”
In England, he states, that, teachers “definitely cannot work in a place of their choosing if they are not required on site.” In other words it is “expressly forbidden” for a teacher in England to take home a pupils work for assessment.
In Scotland you can and he says that “treating teachers with this more professional and trusting attitude seems the norm here.”
He explains why Scottish teachers are “so engaged” and “so fiercely passionate about contributing their views” at staff meetings.
He says that “teachers have a much stronger voice here” whereas in England they are not asked for their opinions or to put ideas forward.
He ends with “ if you were to ask me where teachers have a better time of it, I’d say Scotland comes out on top.”
‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ | Tes Magazine
From UCL (University College London) 2020
Wellbeing among teachers in England is lower than in Scotland
According to their report they used “data from the Annual Population Survey” where they compared levels of anxiety, unhappiness, low life satisfaction and low levels of self-worth across the four consistent countries of the UK.
They found that:
“Teachers in England are more anxious and less happy”
The standout finding is that teachers in England are more likely to say that they are unhappy (21% of teachers) than their Welsh (18%), Scottish (17%) and Northern Irish (12%) counterparts.
A similar pattern can be seen for levels of anxiety, with teachers in England more likely to report higher levels of anxiety (21%) than those in Scotland (18%) and Northern Ireland (13%). The figure for Wales is close to the English figure, at 20%.
Teachers in England also had lower levels of life satisfaction than teachers in Scotland.
Unfortunately they then go on to put Scotland down, as is always the way if England doesn’t’ come out top, by the quite frankly cringe worthy “Maybe the sunny Scottish weather, copious amounts of Iron-Bru and the ready availability of haggis could be factors at play.”
Is wellbeing among teachers in England lower than in the rest of the UK? | UCL IOE Blog
From The Guardian
“Record numbers of teachers in England quitting profession, figures show
Department for Education survey finds that 40,000 – almost 9% of workforce – left state schools in 2021-22 before retirement.”
“The survey found that unfilled teaching vacancies were also at a record high, with more than 2,300 empty posts compared with 530 a decade earlier. A further 3,300 posts were filled by supply teachers, 1,000 more than the year before.”
“Teaching unions blamed poor working conditions and the long-term erosion in pay for the exodus.”
So there you have it “why teachers in England seem to be the most miserable.”
And why the SNP Government have made life as a teacher in Scotland an envious vocation!!!
JB
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Excellent post JB
Liz S
LikeLike
I’d rather b̶e̶ a̶ t̶e̶a̶c̶h̶e̶r̶ in Scotland than England.
FIFY😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
O/T apologies
Richard Tice, the Reform Deputy Leader’s suggestion in a LBC interview that benefits claimants should be recruited into social care.
If they do not want to do that then Tice says:
“Take the Benefit away, then frankly, end of Benefits. You can’t make a Lifestyle decision to sit on your backside at home watching telly whilst other people are going to work to pay your Benefits”
So the shortage of Care workers from Europe as a result of his Brexit will then see people who are unemployed UK citizens being forced to take a job , perhaps either against their will , or which, as a job, they are totally unsuited for.
That sounds like a recipe for success (says I sarcastically).
So would you want your elderly relative in a Care home environment to be looked after by someone who had been forced to do that job under the threat of having their Benefits stopped via the flawed policy of a potential future Reform UK government, at least in England.
This is typical of Reform UK, where , as a pretend party and a (fake) protest party they have not thought through the consequences of their potential totalitarian style of government.
Indeed they , Reform UK, care not for the consequences for either those potentially being forced to do this type of work against their will but also those Care Home residents who must endure a service from someone who may either be totally unsuitable for the job or only be doing the job under (financial) duress.
This “Lifestyle choice” nonsense is Tice’s way of saying “Benefit scroungers” without actually saying it.
Tice said “We need to have to say to people, look actually if you’re on Benefits then maybe we need to train you in things like Social Care and get you into a really important job”.
He forgot to add that he and his party, but also other parties in his UK as well, all completely ducked up as they did not think through the negative issues relating to employment shortages that Brexit would create , such as a deficit of workers from the EU in certain jobs like Social Care, the NHS, factory workers, the Hospitality sector , Seasonal Farm workers and also those foreign workers who work in the Fishing Industry.
Also his ill thought out ‘plans’ hardly treats those on Benefits as “People” but instead he and his party treat them with contempt, with disdain and with a total lack of empathy and humanity.
Brexit generated a hostile environment for EU citizens who, as EU citizens, were living and working in the UK and so post Brexit some decided to either go back to their own country in Europe or go elsewhere in Europe .
So basically the State caused this situation with Brexit i.e. a shortage of Care workers and some other jobs and now the State dictates that those on Benefits must resolve this situation on behalf of the State.
That is, in them , as those on Benefits, being forced to do this job under the threat of having their Benefits stopped.
Not an actual brexit benefit then , is it ?
This then totally eliminates any option open to them (as “people”) as those currently unemployed in them (as “people”) having the ‘choice’ to decide what job they ( as “people”) want to do, what job they ( as “people”) would be best at and if they ( as “people” )were given that choice then they ( as “people” )are more likely to want to remain in that job of their choice or indeed the respective Employer is more likely to keep them on as an Employee.
The alternative is them being forced to do a job that they may not want to do or that they may be unsuited to doing as a job and so potentially they may get sacked from that job for those reasons, thus begins again a (vicious) cycle where there is then still a shortage of Social Care workers etc
Short term solutions as non answers to significant problems and issues, that is how Reform UK operates and it seems that Keir Starmer is willing to also go down that same (wrong and callous) road, or as Anas Sarwar says Labour will ‘go in a new direction‘, which just so happens to be in the same (wrong and callous) direction as Reform UK.
This is typical of Reform UK (and also it seems Labour HQ too) whose non solution is to target specific people, in scapegoating them, so instigating a backlash against them as “people” , as in those types of voters who make the assumption that anyone on Benefits is lazy and so does not want to work, so they then should be forced to work in the jobs where there is a shortage of workers (as a result of mainly a very English driven UK Brexit).
Vote SNP by a majority in 2026 , I am sickened at any possible Reform UK candidates gaining a seat in our Scottish parliament in 2026 , but Labour have ensured that could happen , in more ways than one, where our elections are not like others nations within the UK, as in a FPTP election , where had our election in 2026 been a FPTP election , then in Scotland , that would then have more than likely have stopped Reform UK from being in our Scottish parliament.
If you are not demented by it all , you must then surely be oblivious to it all or deliberately ignoring it all. Perhaps then your ignorance or avoidance is bliss (but that will also ensure it still remains just as bad for us all within Scotland as part of their UK).
Liz S
LikeLiked by 3 people
‘This is typical of Reform UK, where , as a pretend party and a (fake) protest party they have not thought through the consequences of their potential totalitarian style of government.’
Arguably, the real ‘problem’ is too many voters – among the many with little reason now to put their trust in the main UK political parties to enhance the well-being of their families and communities – may not think through the consequences of putting Reform UK into power.
From an essay on ‘populism’ (April 13, 2025) with the title ‘The Populist Temptation. Why simple answers feel so good — and why they can be so dangerous’. (Source: https://medium.com/policy-panorama/the-populist-temptation-8a67f859d9d5)
“He finally said what everyone’s thinking,” someone says. Another person adds, “At last, someone speaks for ordinary people.” And you? You find yourself torn — between disapproval and curiosity. Populist rhetoric has something of a warning signal to it — and yet it works. Worldwide.’
‘Populism is more than just a political insult these days. It’s a style, a way of communicating, and sometimes a political accelerant. And its power doesn’t lie in spite of its simplicity, but because of it. It offers clarity in confusing times — but at what cost? (my emphasis)
‘The appeal of clarity – In a world flooded with contradictory information, complex interdependencies, and moral gray zones, populism feels like a rhetorical life jacket: finally, things seem simple. It draws a clear line: good versus bad. You have to choose sides — either you’re with “the people,” or with “the elites.” You trust “common sense,” not “theories from ivory towers.”
‘Political scientist Cas Mudde once called populism a “thin ideology.” It divides society into two homogeneous groups: the pure people and the corrupt elite. That may sound simplistic, but it resonates deeply …’
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sigh..many people on ‘benefits’ are using social care services…I wondered if they’d try that one. I just despair.
LikeLike
Well said Liz. Their plan, Reform that is, is quite obvious. They want to break the N.H.S, and that includes all four U.K nations health services. To this end they are being assisted by both the Labour and Tory parties, who are trying to copy their plans, but why buy the facsimile when you can have the original. What bothers me is that some Scots seem to have been brainwashed into believing that this private company, controlled by very rich people, are the solution to their problems, and intend to vote for them next year. And add that to the very real prospect of the evil Farage becoming Prime Minister in 2029, Scotland, unless we leave, face a very bleak future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
1 in 20 people are neurodiverse. They cannot work only work in a limited capacity. Reform just do not get this. They chunter on totally obvious.
People will still come in small boats until the UK Gov stop bombing people to bits in the Middle East. Stop supporting Netanyahu’s criminal policies.
LikeLike