Title on application form (teacher)

[Hellodarknessmyfriend]

I'm married but use Ms.
What do I put re title and marital status on application forms for a teaching role?

Another baffled to why your marital status has been queried. It's been illegal to do this for years, as noted upthread.

@echt Should I leave this section of the application form blank do you think?

The marital status query is baffling. You can see how ridiculous it is by imagining you're a man completing the application.

Name: Mr John Smith
Are you married? WTF, what does that have to do with whether I'm likely to be suitable for this role?

Why would they even want to know? They're not allowed to use the information when deciding whether to offer an interview or the job, so why are they asking?

What difference would it make compared with a single person or someone with a long term partner who they share a joint mortgage and children? What happens if you're due to get married shortly after you send in the application or in the process of getting divorced and currently married but may no longer be by the time you get the job?

Is this a compulsory or optional question?

It's probably not even relevant for the pension because you'd just nominate your spouse, partner or if single, a parent or other relative for death benefits if you got the job.

@Hellodarknessmyfriend I do find it very hard to believe this is real. But if it is, employers are not allowed to ask about marital status. And you have a perfect right to call yourself Ms, Mrs or Miss regardless of marital status. Anyone who is offended by this is being completely ridiculous and should be disregarded.

The title is usually your preference and will be used on e.g. your name card and parents' evening forms. What you call yourself in school is really no one's business - why would anyone get offended if they don't know? I have colleagues who go by chosen fore- and/ or surnames for a variety of reasons and family or friends are only ever aware if told.

As for pretty much everything else on that form, I assume it's part of the recruitment equality form workplaces have to have to prove they're not hiring exclusively from a few groups or excluding others, in line with questions about your ethnicity, sexuality etc.

If so, this is a separate form and will not be part of the application that goes on to HTs etc., it will just be kept on file in case anyone ever claims your workplace discriminates.

There is often also a "prefer not to say" box and, depending on my mood on application, I have been known to tick that for the entire form.

Unfortunately, there's no way to call yourself Ms that doesn't then lead to some people being stupid arseholes.

That's odd, I thought you were allowed to for record keeping to ensure you are not discriminating. If all single candidates were rejected the school might want to check they are not using unfair procedures.

And you can ask sex, whether someone needs adjustments for the interview, ethnicity etc. Again all to ensure the interview process is fair.

Anyway your 1950s colleagues need educating.

I think 'educating' people at a job interview might not go down well.

I had a teacher in the 90who was Ms, and my primary kids have had at least two teachers so far who are Ms. I work in a secondary, and there are more Mses than you can shake a stick at!

Indeed. Perfectly standard wherever I have taught for many years.

Not sure it's even legal to ask marital status. I work for an org with religious exemption and even they didn't ask!

I’m in South Wales and had this from a manager. She just couldn’t wrap her head around it.

I had teachers called Ms in the 90s. There's no way it's actually any kind of deal.

If you're in the UK, yes.

What?
No-one is making a judgement on that application form.

I also use MS and I'm married