A group of 3.8k+ teachers demanding permanent teaching jobs in Scotland. Many teachers face job uncertainty with little or no work. contact
@scottishteachers
.uk
Do Scottish teachers deserve permanent contracts and not to be forced into unstable zero hour contracts by the local authorities? 🏴
Yes Yes Yes
👇 👇 👇
So,
@StrathEDU
deletes their post after teachers began sharing their negative experiences? ❌
Instead of engaging with the real issues, they choose to hide from it. 👎
Many teachers detailed how they felt completely let down by the system, and this is the response?
We are a large group of over 3500 Scottish teachers united to protest the current state of teaching in Scotland.
---
A THREAD:
1) The number of qualified and experienced teachers without permanent posts in Scotland is entirely unacceptable.
We’d love to share the ‘journeys’ of the 3,800+ teachers in our group, many of them
@UniStrathclyde
graduates.
From signing onto Universal Credit to finding other jobs, putting off having children, delaying home purchases—all because we can’t secure permanent contracts, or even
Thank you to
@GlasgowPam
and
@LiamKerrMSP
for raising important points in Parliament regarding the statistics we released yesterday on the severe lack of supply teaching jobs.
We are, however, disappointed with
@JohnSwinney
’s response. Perhaps he could clarify why councils are
We submitted a FOI request to
@SouthLanCouncil
asking:
“In the last 5 years, how many NQTs secured a permanent post after their probationary year?”
Their response? A bill for £3,400, claiming it would take 250 hours of staff time to retrieve this information
An NQT raised concerns with
@SouthLanCouncil
that only 11% of NQTs secure permanent jobs post-probation, competing with 300+ applicants.
Their response? "It’s within employment law."
Legal doesn’t mean it’s fair for our teachers.
🚨 FOI from
@falkirkcouncil
reveals shocking stats on teacher job insecurity:
Fixed-term contracts down 35%, supply staff up 20% in just 3 years.
Only 39 permanent teaching contracts offered in 2023/24, and probationers moving directly into permanent roles plummeted by 68%
🚨 **Where's the Accountability,
@JennyGilruth
?** 🚨
Education in Scotland is at a crossroads, and what do we get from our Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills? Empty promises and unfulfilled commitments!
Jenny Gilruth proudly announced an additional £145.5 million,
Jenny Gilruth’s debut speech on May 25th, 2016, addressed many of the very issues we are still fighting today—lack of jobs for probationers and the broken application process. 🤔
Yet, eight years on, we are still campaigning for change. In that time, many teachers’ livelihoods
What about the teachers struggling on Universal Credit, those forced to delay starting families, and those stuck in insecure, temporary contracts? Supply teachers, with over 80% having worked less than a month and 39% receiving no work at all. Meanwhile, 10% of the teaching
Labour has betrayed voters with their austerity and cuts agenda, which people in Scotland are being forced to pay the price for.
People deserve better. Only the SNP offers a brighter future, so let’s get out there and take our positive message to doorsteps across the country.
Teachers have often felt embarrassed and isolated by their situation, but they shouldn’t—✨this isn’t their fault✨
Years of neglect and the practice of using probationers as cheap, temporary labor have led to this crisis.
The result is a system where thousands of qualified
This is a real post from one of our members.
This teacher marks the 10th this week alone that a job centre worker has had to sign up. This isn’t just another statistic—it’s a stark reflection of the financial instability facing our educators.
#TeachersOnUC
#EducationCrisis
🚨 Scotland is losing its dedicated educators because they can’t find work 🚨
This is just one of many posts in our group daily. We share these because this is real. This is happening - to us, now.
People don’t have an income and can’t live off nothing.
🚨Teachers in Scotland are in crisis, with many facing job insecurity and relying on Universal Credit.
We've created a template for ANYONE to use and write to your MSPs & Jenny Gilruth🚨
Please like & repost this to spread the word! ❤️
“Teaching has become a precarious job”
Thank you to
@Emma_Seith
for doing a news story and speaking to one of our teachers on the numerous issues that we are facing within teaching currently.
It’s important for people to realise that it is not just NQTs
We have been receiving reports from probationer teachers in
@GlasgowCC
and
@nlcpeople
who were advised during recruitment training to look abroad for jobs, with places like Thailand 🇹🇭 and Dubai 🇦🇪 mentioned.
GCC probationers were also told to apply to other councils due to
We conducted a survey of over 346 supply teachers to find out how much work they’ve experienced since the start of the academic year, 2024.
- 🚨80% reported very little or NO supply work🚨
- Only 8% were offered fixed-term contracts* of a year or more
- Aberdeen, Angus,
Perhaps instead of ignoring the issue,
@UniStrathclyde
could come to the table and engage in an honest discussion? They continue to accept more students each year without preparing them for the harsh reality of the job market. It’s time for some accountability.
Many of us have reached out to
@JennyGilruth
, desperately seeking help, yet after 16 days, we’ve received no acknowledgment.
How can an Education Minister ignore teachers, who are pleading for change to a system that’s driving them to other jobs or some onto universal credit?
This is yet another harrowing post by one of our members.
It’s mentally and physically exhausting waking up and preparing yourself, some even getting ready for work each morning to then receive no work.
The Scottish Government state they want to hire more teachers - but what is
Glasgow City Council claims they don’t have any casual supply staff, yet hundreds of teachers are fighting over 6-hour contracts through Teacher Booker. Their FOI response also states that providing info on contracts offered over the last 3 years would cost over £600—an
Did you know some councils pay in arrears? If you work a supply shift on October 1st, you wouldn’t see that pay until the end of November. Not only are we scrambling to find work, but we also have to wait weeks to get paid for it.
#Teachers4Perm
Yet here we are as a group of over that amount of teachers, many sitting at home with no jobs, having to claim JSA and worrying about how to pay our bills.
The SNP promised in their manifesto that they would recruit an additional 3,500 teachers which would allow a reduction in teacher contact time by ninety minutes a week. But yesterday the education secretary couldn't clearly set out what the government's position is.
South Ayrshire Council’s FOI response is shocking—🚨they claim to have NO data on how many Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) secured permanent posts, no records of staff numbers across permanent, fixed-term, or casual supply roles, and no information on how many contracts were
@ShonaRobisonMSP
@theSNP
What about the PGDE or BA Primary/Secondary students who are currently unaware that they are entering a grim reality of no permanent jobs, lack of fixed term contracts and an over saturation of casual 0 hour supply work.
Who is protecting those students?
Do councils even remember that the ‘numbers’ they’re cutting are actual human beings? Teachers with mortgages, families, and bills to pay. It seems they’ve forgotten the devastating impact this will have on livelihoods—not to mention the future of our children’s education.
And
Another Scottish council has proposed millions in education cuts as it tries to deal with an impending budget gap. Teachers numbers could be reduced, all school crossing guards could be removed, and the Arran Outdoor Education Centre could be closed.
Scottish Teachers deserve more than being forced to sit at home and wonder how they are going to pay their bills or put food on the table
#teachersjobsmatter
@EISGlasgow
There are also hundreds if not thousands of us who have had to secure temporary employment outwith teaching because there isn’t even any supply work. I’m a qualified teacher working as admin in an office - it’s a waste of my experience
Yet again,
@FifeCouncil
unfairly breaks a teacher's length of service.
Many councils require 4+ years for a permanent post and 2 years for a fixed term, but how can we build service if it keeps getting broken?
Willie Rennie's tweet on reducing teacher contact time while councils cut teaching jobs highlights a glaring contradiction in educational policy.
- Teacher Shortages: Current policies like reducing supply teacher budgets force schools to manage with existing staff, stretching
The SNP promised in their manifesto that they would recruit an additional 3,500 teachers which would allow a reduction in teacher contact time by ninety minutes a week. But yesterday the education secretary couldn't clearly set out what the government's position is.
We sent an FOI to
@RenCouncil
and they have refused to tell us how many NQTs moved directly into a permanent role after probation, demanding £600 for the info. Their FOI response highlights worrying trends:
•Permanent contracts down 22.8% (2021-2023) 📉
•Fixed-term contracts
Feeling lost or alone as a teacher in the current job crisis? 🌟 Reach out with a DM to us please!
While we have a thriving Facebook group, we realise not everyone is on there.
We're more than just a group; we're a family of teachers here to lend an ear, share your burdens, and
It’s another Sunday night, and teachers are worried about another week without work. This is the reality for so many, like one of our members who shared their story: no jobs, councils hiring more supply teachers despite no available work.
This crisis is devastating livelihoods.
We have received
@DundeeCouncil
FOI response, revealing some shocking statistics.
- Fixed-term contracts have decreased by 25.7%
- Casual supply staff has surged by 182.3%.
- The number of probationers moving directly into permanent positions has dropped by 71.2% since
What happens now, with no more extra £145m? 🤷♂️
The crisis of temporary contracts is deepening. Teachers are struggling with financial insecurity, and the toll on mental health is undeniable. How much longer can this go on?
Scotland’s teachers deserve stability.
#TeacherCrisis
John Swinney proudly told Parliament that £145.5m had been given to all councils to protect teacher jobs, and Jenny Gilruth has used this claim as a bargaining chip for months.
But we’ve been reporting for weeks that no councils signed up, as they want the funding based on a
A mass amount of teachers sitting at home unable to pay their bills, whilst teachers and SLT are burning out due to the councils not allowing any budget for the staffing that schools desperately require
This is a crisis that the government are unwilling to face - but it’s a
On
#WorldMentalHealthDay
, we highlight the harsh reality faced by Scotland’s teachers.
In our recent survey, 95% of respondents said job insecurity, lack of permanent work or no work at all, has taken a toll on their mental health.
It shouldn’t be this way. 😔
#Teachers4Perm
Thank you to
@ASNReformScot
for sending a letter of support for our campaign to
@JennyGilruth
.
As
@ASNReformScot
state in their letter - parents, carers, teachers and pupils are united in this cause. This is not teacher vs parent, it’s all of us vs a broken system. We are united
We sent letters to MSPs & MPs about the teaching job shortage. In this letter, we detailed about the buck passing between ScotGov and councils
The response? More buck-passing between Scot Gov & local authorities.
It's time for real answers, not endless deflection.
This is the harsh reality so many of us are facing 😔
Imagine dedicating years to becoming a teacher—completing your degree, working tirelessly through your NQT year—only to spend over six years on a supply list with no promise of secure or stable work.
Despite all the hard
Gutting story heard across 🏴: some grads from my 2017-18 PGDE cohort
@UoD_ESW
are still on supply-only over 6 years after completing course, & 5 after passing probation. Current system encourages unis to overrecruit & LAs to depend on free probationera & then cut lose. Not OK!
The Scottish Government knows that it’s impossible to deliver quality education without teachers.
Scotland’s teachers and pupils deserve better than this. They deserve better than constant cuts.
If this isn’t austerity, what it?
@GlasgowPam
Totally agree, Pam. The stand-off and funding freeze are damaging education, but councils aren’t managing this well either. By pushing for a pupil-teacher ratio model, they’re looking to cut teachers as rolls drop, even while crucial services like school buses and classroom
@ScotGovEdu
@COSLA
@scotgov
They may be the best paid - but what Jenny fails to mention is there are hundreds if not thousands of teachers unable to secure stable employment with many being forced into universal credit.
As teachers, we are deeply concerned about the devastating effect of losing 10% of the teaching workforce in Glasgow. Pupils are suffering from overcrowded classrooms, lack of individual support, and gaps in learning.
Teachers are stretched beyond their limits, managing
We already have hundreds if not thousands of teachers unable to secure stable employment, yet the government is refusing to rule out further teaching number cuts.
Not only will our teachers lose out on work - our children will lose vital support, resources and relationships.
The SNP staked their reputation on closing the attainment gap...then didn't do it.
Then they staked their reputation on increasing teaching numbers...now the Education Secretary won't rule out cuts to teacher numbers.
🚨 An email shared with us by a teacher in East Renfrewshire reveals the council is facing a £15m budget shortfall for 2025/26, with potential teacher cuts looming. 🚨
The council admits, ‘like every council in Scotland,’ they are dealing with ‘significant financial challenges.’
🚨 Teachers in Glasgow, it's decision time! 🗳️
Glasgow City Council plans to cut 450 teaching jobs over 3 years. This isn't just about numbers; it's about the future of our education.
Vote YES in the EIS ballot to stand against these cuts.
#GlasgowTeachersStrike
#VoteYesYes
@Iggysparkie
@seamusjw
You are correct that teachers within Scotland are paid more, however, what’s the point in being paid more if people can’t find work at all?
This also creates a problem. NQTs (newly qualified teachers) are paid less because they are in their probation year, so the councils have
We’ve just received a response to our FOI request from
@WDCouncil
, and the findings are not promising.
Since 2021/2022, permanent teaching contracts have dropped by 4%, while the council’s reliance on casual supply teachers has soared by over 70% – from 244 to an alarming 415.
Year after year, probationer teachers in Dumfries and Galloway face a bleak reality.
From 2020 to 2024, the FOI shows only 41 primary and secondary teachers have moved into permanent roles in total.
Our educators, who dedicate themselves to shaping the future, deserve
How can supply teachers in
@LoveWestLothian
possibly secure work when an email is sent out, and within just 🚨3 minutes🚨the position is already filled?
In that tiny window, calls are made, agreements are reached, and a confirmation email is typed and sent back out. How is this
This is why we have had to send over 40+ FOIs do individual councils just to find out teaching numbers
Why is this not routinely reported… to the government?
#Teachers4Perm
Is the Scottish Government still claiming that probationers are supernumerary?
Because Dundee City Council has openly acknowledged they are using probationers as cheap labour. In their own words:
“It’s also proposed the allocation of newly qualified
We are hearing reports suggesting that primary teaching posts in Edinburgh City Council
@Edinburgh_CC
are likely to go to those already in temp roles with permanent contracts. This raises concerns for teachers without permanent contracts being shut out.
@FifeCouncil
have also
1) This is yet another heartbreaking story of a dedicated teacher, unable to secure even zero-hour casual supply work. It’s a reminder of the harsh reality too many in the profession are facing.
@Jacquiscampbell
@Rowanscience1
@MrMcEnaney
@heraldscotland
We can assure you, the issue isn’t a lack of teachers. With over 3,800 qualified educators across Scotland struggling to find any work, it’s clear the problem lies elsewhere. Councils are making massive cuts, with budget black holes across the board. Take a look through our X
To all of our Glasgow teachers, please support the
@EISGlasgow
. And
#VoteYesYes
These cuts are affecting both our children’s education but also our teacher’s wellbeing’s
Some of our members are putting off having children, buying houses amongst a wide range of other life events
It is half way through term one and our teachers are suffering from exhaustion. Protect our teaching workforce and post your ballot paper this weekend.
#VoteYesYes
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One of our members finally received a response from
@JennyGilruth
on the teacher crisis.
Once again, she passes the buck to local authorities, who then pass it back to the Scottish Government.
This endless blame game is failing hardworking teachers who are desperate for jobs
This is heartbreaking.
People have spent years becoming a teacher, through going to university and completing a probation year. Yet, we are unable to secure even any supply work.
Scotland is starting to lose lots of amazing and dedicated teachers because they can’t continue to
@Teachers4Perm
Currently writing my CV for applying outwith teaching. Changed my career 5 years ago to become a teacher. Breaks my heart but needs must. No supply so far this term and no signs of anything improving.
More cuts to teaching numbers as predicted, every council will be affected and every child and young person’s education in Scotland is at further risk of harm, particularly those children and young people who need additional support.
Labour’s pledge to end exploitative zero hour contracts and improve workers’ rights is crucial, but will cover workers in Scotland to stop the rise of insecure contracts in Scotland’s teaching profession?
🚨In Dundee, we’ve seen a staggering 189% increase in casual zero-hour
The Labour government's plan to Make Work Pay represents the most significant boost to wages and workers' rights in a generation.
This includes ending exploitative zero-hour contracts and the unfair practice of fire and rehire, ensuring that workers have guaranteed hours on
This is the grim reality for many of Scotland’s teachers, sitting at home wondering how we are to pay our bills, rent/mortgages or how or feed our kids.
Something needs to change ☑️
As schools return, I sit by the phone...praying.
The reality is if I don't get work, I'll lose my home. I am it for my son and I. It's just me.
If any secondary school in North, South or East Ayrshire needs supply, I'm available!
General, Bio, Chemistry, HE, SfL.
💔
A teacher has contacted us via DM and would like us to share their story:
Since 2022, they’ve been trying to complete their probation but were misled into choosing the ‘flexible’ route, believing it would lead to supply work. Now, with 85 days left to complete and no response to
The crisis of council cuts affecting schools in England and Wales is a stark reminder of what’s happening across Scotland.
Glasgow alone will lose 450 teaching jobs over the next three years, with cuts happening in numerous councils.
These cuts mean larger class sizes, fewer
We’d love to share the ‘journeys’ of the 3,800+ teachers in our group, many of them
@UniStrathclyde
graduates.
From signing onto Universal Credit to finding other jobs, putting off having children, delaying home purchases—all because we can’t secure permanent contracts, or even
6) Unions, parents and teachers are calling on proper resourcing and funding of our schools. Teachers deserve job security and children and young people deserve the support and expertise to allow them to be successful.
2) Teacher numbers have fallen in 2022 and 2023 despite SNP manifesto stating they would increase teacher numbers. Many teachers are unable to secure even temporary contracts and are forced into 0 hour supply positions.
Councils with the Least Supply Work:
South Lanarkshire Council
No supply work: 74.07%
Very little (less than 1 month): 22.22%
Fixed term (1 year or more): 3.70%
Scottish Borders Council
No supply work: 66.67%
Very little (less than 1 month): 33.33%
East Dunbartonshire Council
We conducted a survey of over 346 supply teachers to find out how much work they’ve experienced since the start of the academic year, 2024.
- 🚨80% reported very little or NO supply work🚨
- Only 8% were offered fixed-term contracts* of a year or more
- Aberdeen, Angus,
5) The recent data on results show that Scotland's attainment gap is bigger than ever with the most vulnerable young people from deprived backgrounds being failed by the current system.
We asked
@AngusCouncil
some pretty basic questions in a FOI (Freedom of Information Request)
How can a council not hold basic data on its own staffing figures? 🤔
Teaching jobs are crucial for schools’ planning, yet
@AngusCouncil
claim they don’t track key stats like
@kate_wall98
@StrathEDU
Hi Kate, we had plenty of teachers sharing their journeys and experiences within teaching, however Strathclyde decided to delete these.
We can only assume that the negative experiences didn’t fit with what Strathclyde was looking for with that post.
3) There are numerous teachers starting the year on fixed-term contracts, ranging from a few months to the entire year, with a significant lack of permanent positions. A very large number are also spending the next few weeks with no work at all.
Another day, another council that doesn’t track key statistics about their own teachers?? 🤔 Despite our FOI request,
@inverclyde
claims they can’t provide basic data on how many permanent, fixed-term, or supply contracts they’ve offered in the last three years—or even how many
4) In Glasgow City, only 10% of primary teachers moved directly from probation to a permanent contract in 2023, compared to 73% in 2017. Similarly, in South Lanarkshire, this figure dropped from 80% in 2017 to 22% last year.
Please donate to
@GCParentsGroup
fundraiser, these funds are vital for them to take their legal action further on behalf of the hundreds of teaching job cuts that have happened and are planned for
@GlasgowCC
Thank you
@GCParentsGroup
for your continued dedication in this! 🙏📚
Thank you to
@EISUnion
for their incredible solidarity & generous donation to our crowdfunder! 🎉 We've now passed the halfway mark in raising the funds we need to take this legal challenge forward on behalf of Glasgow’s teachers and pupils. 🙌
@Gemma_clark14
Well, the education minister
@JennyGilruth
states:
‘Whilst I note the issues that you have raised, statutory responsibility for the delivery of education sits with local authorities - as set out under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. This includes the recruitment and
🚨 We have sent letters to our MSPs, MPs and other figures involved within Education, you can take a look at it here 🚨
Please also get involved by also sending a letter to your MSPs, MPs - a link to a template can be found in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️
North Ayrshire’s proposal to axe 50 teachers is yet another devastating blow to Scotland’s education system.
Our schools can’t afford more cuts.
Every child deserves access to quality teaching, not a system gutted by budget shortfalls.
We demand
@Rowanscience1
@MrMcEnaney
@heraldscotland
We can assure you, the issue isn’t a lack of teachers. With over 3,800 qualified educators across Scotland struggling to find any work, it’s clear the problem lies elsewhere. Councils are making massive cuts, with budget black holes across the board. Take a look through our X
It's inspiring to see teacher groups like ours and parent-led groups such as
@EmpowerEDScot
,
@ASNReformScot
, and
@GCParentsGroup
united in the belief that real change is urgently needed.
Instead of deflecting, blame shifting - the government must work with us. The education
🧠 Mental Health Crisis: An alarming 95% of survey respondents report that job instability has negatively impacted their mental health. This crisis cannot be ignored any longer!
#MentalHealthMatters
#Teaching
Empower:ED are a grass root parents group who have written a eloquent letter demanding better for children with additional support needs and young people.
The pressure is mounting on the Scottish Government to do better for our young people. They can’t ignore all these issues
Today we have written to
@JennyGilruth
regarding our growing concerns in our Scottish education system and in particular the impact on children with additional support needs (ASN).