To tell my son he should do something that earns more than teaching

[NameChangeAgainAgainAgainAgain]

My son is good at everything. Parent's evening yesterday and all the teachers said he could easily get 9s at almost all his GCSEs but he's a bit lazy as he finds things quite easy.

He plays 2 instruments to grade 6+ standard. He learns fast. He's great at sciences, maths, computing.

He wants to be a PE teacher.

AIBU to tell him to think about doing something else? He could literally do anything and has chosen this. I am a bit disappointed I suppose, thought he might go Barrister/Actuary/Doctor or something.

I would advise anyone against going into teaching.

We need more good all round teachers - don't assume PE teachers aren't bright, or aren't challenged at their jobs. They can also progress up the career ladder, right to higher positions in local authority etc if they so desire. Wages aren't amazing but they're well above average!

We need to advise anyone who wants to teach well to consider it - we need more teachers. We need good teachers. We need more support staff too.

FGS let him find his own path. It’s his life not yours.

I’d get him through the GCSEs first. And A Levels. And let him make his own mistakes.

He can easily do post graduate conversion degrees in law and medicine if he changes his mind later - and, frankly, neither of those options necessarily lead to work/life balance or a decent income these days, whereas a department heads/and head masters earn a good living.

If you’ve followed the recent barrister and junior doctor strikes data you will see that the hours they work and the income they now get is pretty shocking. I wonder whether this is more about your ego, being able to say that your DS is a [insert impressive professional job title] here and that you, personally, don’t value teaching as one of those professions and would feel a little bit embarrassed?

We need great teachers - enthusiastic, inspiring young people who actively choose to be in the profession and help shape our young people - just as much as we need more doctors. Not so sure about the barristers/lawyers, though.

Google tells me teachers start on 30K
Is google lying to me?
As a professional myself (south east) I see 30K starting wage as quite substantial

@NameChangeAgainAgainAgainAgain My parents were both teachers and the one thing they said to my siblings and I was, "never become a teacher." None of us did and we all earn more money than my parents ever did and my Dad became headteacher. I remember my brother out earning my parents a few years out of uni (solicitor). I earn 6 figures in IT. They're very happy we didn't become teachers. They thought the effort/hours versus pay just wasn't worth it so I can understand where you are coming from. I have friends who are teachers and complain about it, but they love it too.

It’s worth bearing in mind that teaching opportunities abroad are a good option if that’s what he wants to do and travelling appeals. Accommodation often provided and lots of time to travel amazing parts of the world. He doesn’t necessarily need to stay in the uk.

I have just left me teaching career after 15 years, mainly due to workload and behaviour.
My DH left teaching 5 years before me and has thrived in the corporate world. A lot less stressed and available to help parent our children.
I would never encourage anyone to teach unless they were fully aware of what is realistically expected from a teacher these days. The job has changed so much.

I have an academically gifted 18 year old - he's training to be a chef - he's happy so I'm happy.

Think of it as public service. He can do it for a while then move on.

I'm a teacher. My Principal was a PE teacher when he joined the profession. Now earns well into 6 figures and drives a Jag.

If you're passionate about something you'll do well and if you're not, you won't - no matter how clever you are.

Also, it's his life.

Well you shouldn’t be “telling” him to do anything but you could have an open chat about it. Say money isn’t the be all and end all as long as he is happy, but there are lots of careers out there. Maybe he could chat to the sixth form career advisor? When I was applying for uni I was going to apply for the closest one, I think it was bottom of the league tables. A career advisor gently steered me to some top 10 ones instead. I think it was different hearing from an expert rather than my parents.

Oh and also I'm 40 years old and earn £65k as a teacher, how much better paid are we talking?

And if he was in London, it would be absolute peanuts.
I think he needs to do what makes him happy. He could always change careers if he wanted to. It would be good for him to research what the current situation is with teachers and decide if that's what he wants.
I also wanted to go into teaching but was discouraged from it. I can't imagine the lifestyle I have now being supported on a teachers wage though.

It is important to love what you do everyday. Maybe if he becomes a PE teacher he will end up as a headteacher.

I agree with this there was a thread a while ago about pe teaching as a career I think biology plus teacher would be better

I would have liked someone to have sat down and told me how struggling with cash I'd be in my public sector helping profession when I was that age - I thought I'd be able to support a family and buy a house with it. has

Do not say this. My mum always said this and it made me feel terrible and did not encourage me to have a more successful career.

I've not read the full thread - sorry, am about to do the school run.

Rather than try to force a change in direction, why not explain how life's milestones may be easier on a better salary?

Show houses as a multiple of salary, as in "here's what you could potentially buy as a teacher, but here's what a tech/finance salary would buy you".

Also, although far off, frame it in terms of potential pension savings.

I know it'll be boring for your child, but it might be informative!

Teacher's pay is not enough for a comfortable life in the South East. It is also vastly underpaid for the level of commitment required. There's far easier ways to make far more money.

YANBU for wanting him to maximise his earning potential and teachers are so undervalued, I wouldn’t encourage anyone into the profession.

Ultimately, the profession does need brilliant teachers who have a variety of skills and knowledge, and if that’s what he wants, he gets to make that decision.

Take comfort in the fact you’ve raised a brilliant, well-rounded young man who should excel wherever he goes.

Intelligence doesn't have to equal high salary. Teaching is as noble and necessary a profession as medicine, law, accountancy etc. The only thing I would say would be for him to have a secondary subject, as well as PE. He can specialise in PE but also teach maths for example, or be a primary teacher with specialisation in PE. In case he gets injured, ill or just to combat the effects of getting older. In my school the Head of Boys games also taught History and Head of Girls Games also taught Geography. Rugby coordinator taught economics and netball coordinator taught English (albeit they weren't full time in the second subject.

It's his life. You know he's not going to be stuck teaching for life just because he wants to do it when he's 16. He's presumbly going to get a degree and then do PGCE. He can change his mind.

FYI, I work with an software developer who has worked as a teacher. His teaching experience has made him stood out because he's much more eloquent and good at public speaking then the average developer.

Money obviously means more to you than happiness, maybe your son isn't that fussed.

Money isn't everything
Teaching is actually fairly well paid
Qualified teachers and junior doctors start on a very similar wage (30k vs 32k) the difference being due to shorter degrees teachers can start warning at a younger age and only have 3 years of student debt (much less if you choose subjects with a grant although I don't know if PE applies!) and Dr's have at least 5.
Even a basic teachers salary is higher than the UK average after a few years and he could progress to senior leadership etc.

By the time you look at the hours actually worked by barristers/Dr's etc the actual pay by hour isn't that different - i know teachers also do a lot of unpaid overtime but still have the extended holidays - barristers doctors etc work the long hours without 13 weeks leave.