Recruitment campaign finds teachers in Glasgow are valued more now than before the pandemic

An online survey has found that teachers are even more valued now than they were before the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Scottish Government is seeking to recruit more teachers in the Glasgow area.The Scottish Government is seeking to recruit more teachers in the Glasgow area.
The Scottish Government is seeking to recruit more teachers in the Glasgow area.

In Glasgow, almost half of adults (48 per cent) said that they value the role of primary and secondary school teachers more than they did previously, whilst just over a fifth (23 per cent) said that they have learnt something new about being a teacher in Scotland since the lockdown due to Coronavirus.

This research, commissioned by the Scottish Government, with YouGov, positively highlights the importance of teaching as a career, a central theme of the Scottish Government’s Teacher Recruitment campaign.

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The campaign aims to encourage people who are currently studying or recently graduated, to pursue a teaching career in Scotland, and in doing so ticking off all of their career ambitions, from finding a job that’s rewarding and exciting, to a job with progression and leadership opportunities.

Greg McDowall, a high school headteacher, said: “This year has certainly been different for teachers. It’s definitely been challenging, but also extremely rewarding during a time that has been hard for everyone. It’s great to see the research showing just how much teachers are valued. We particularly felt this from parents over the last year as they had to take on some teaching at home themselves.

“There’s no doubt about it, that teaching in Scotland is a positive career choice, with plenty of real-life rewards from job security to leadership opportunities. My career has developed over the years from maths teacher to principal teacher and now headteacher, a role I have been in for two and a half years. I would highly recommend anyone with the enthusiasm and passion to inspire to consider teaching as a career. You never know where it will take you.”

Education Secretary John Swinney, said: “Teaching makes a positive difference to children’s lives and our teachers have performed brilliantly in very challenging circumstances during the COVID-19 crisis.

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“This campaign highlights how teaching can be a highly rewarding career, an opportunity to positively shape the next generation that will help our young people form their views and opinions in an ever-changing world.”

The research by YouGov, has also revealed that over a fifth (21 per cent) of adults in Glasgow agreed with the statement ‘I took primary and secondary school teachers for granted before the coronavirus pandemic’ emphasising further the change in people’s opinion of the profession.

The latest Teacher Recruitment campaign is encouraging those who have the passion and the skills to inspire the next generation in STEM and non-STEM subjects to apply now.

In January, there will be a festival of events ‘Talking Teaching with The Mac Twins’, which will be taking the hundreds of students already signed up through all they need to know about getting into the profession of teaching.

To find out more about a teaching career in Scotland, check out teachinscotland.scot for the most up to date information.

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