AIBU to think Supply Teachers Should be Paid WAY More?

[LoveSkaMusic]

In any other job where a contractor is required, their day rate is massive compared to permanent staff. This is because they have to pay their own tax, get no holiday pay or any other benefits and are taking the risk of not finding their next contract particularly quickly.

So, why is supply teaching paid at less than the normal teaching rate (at least in the area in which I live)? It doesn't make any sense at all. Because supply teaching doesn't include pay for any of the school holidays, annually, it works out at minimum wage (give or take).

AIBU to think that supply teachers pay should be at least 50% higher?

You can't have, or do the work of a TLR, on day to day supply. What are they going to do, call you up and ask you to write a scheme of work, carry out some dropins, lead a CPD and analyse their data?

It’s generally better for the class to have a HLTA, or experienced TA cover. They know the class and the current plans, so it’s less disruptive.

Also, there are some truly shocking supply teachers (I’m sure this doesn’t apply to any of you btw!)…

Supply teachers can easily solve their lack of benefits by seeking a contracted position in a school.

I'm sure some of them are great but not all - my DD's had one that refused to tell the students her name. Not first name. Either name. At all. They called her Rubik's cube lady (because she watched YouTube videos on how to solve Rubik's cubes). Another one fell asleep during the lesson.

For another point of view, I am a supply teacher in Scotland. We are paid the same as contracted teachers, holiday pay doesn't work out exactly but we do get 3x per year. For all those saying everyone would leave contracts to work on supply: in Scotland we have the opposite teacher recruitment crisis in that there have been too many trained and every council is cutting permanent posts. Popping in and out of schools for a day here and there is essentially babysitting and not the reason I trained to become a teacher. I would do anything for the security of a permanent post, as would many on supply; for the first 6 weeks of term this year I had one day of work. See 'scottish teachers for permanence' group for more.

@MrsS11 Wow, that is so opposite. Move to England and you'll get a permanent post easily (or is living in England beyind the pale and not included in the 'anything' you'd do? 😆😉)

@miniaturepixieonacid not at all manageable with a self employed husband and 3 kids, but the difference is so frustrating because people here have no understanding of the (stupid) situation. The government is paying to train us up for unemployment or zero hours contracts. That said, teaching in England sounds grim!