1/2? in 5 teachers leave 'teaching' within 5 years

[IamRechargingthankYou]

Would anyone be kind enough to direct me to the
evidence please? I'm not Michael Gove, nor journalist,
I just want to know why, and in order to know I need to
start with the evidence for this. Any links to the evidence
would be very much appreciated.

Please note I have asked for evidence, not opinion.
Many thanks

Can I ask all the teachers who have left, what are you doing now?

I'm currently working on that one. I'd quite like another professional career but it doesn't seem as easy to sidestep.

I've heard of library assistants, TAs etc. Mainly "mum" jobs. I'm bright,academic and not married to a high earner so need to find aomething else.

I think I'd have liked OT or psychologist roles but the retraining is hard now we don't live near a uni!

Euphemia, I'm on supply as a direct choice. I arrive between 8-8.30am and leaave when I've tidied, marked and left notes for the teacher. Sometimes that's 4pm, sometimes 6pm. I'm putting in the same effort, enthusiasm and professionalism that I did when I was on a permanent contract, because I enjoy being a teacher.
But the rest of the crap? Gone for ever.

In my ten years teaching, I saw: 3 NQTs quit in their first year, 2 quit in their second year (so year after completing NQT). Two left the state sector to teach in private/international schools after their second year of teaching. That is out of a total of 11 teachers, fresh out of their PGCE year, who came through our school in that time.

So 45% quit teaching altogether within five years, and 64% in total left state education within five years.

Chapter 3 of the document balia linked to is very informative, it's a government publication from 2010 and the situation has deteriorated significantly since then.

I'm not going back after July. Told school today. Supply for me until I can figure out if it's enough for me to live on. If not, i'll do something else. I feel like a load has been lifted just knowing i'm not going to have to do it full time anymore.

I bloody love my job (Secondary English) and can't imagine doing anything else.

I know four teachers personally who have quit. One quit after only a few months. She was gutted but much happier now.

I don't know any teachers who are still teaching. That's quite shocking actually.

Oh, actually, I do know one, technically. But she is a housemistress rather than teacher.

I qualified in 2001 and left in 2007. I now work for an educational software company.

I do miss teaching, and working with children. I'd never say that I'm definitely not going back to it one day, but things would have to change dramatically at the DFE before that happened.

Perhaps this might also be useful www.theguardian.com/education/2010/jan/01/teachers-leaving-profession-shortages People argue with the 40% leaving teaching figure but the fact remains that almost half the qualified teachers in the UK are NOT TEACHING.

And I hope the OP comes back after all this effort!

Well, I'm appreciating your links balia, even if the OP doesn't bother coming back. The rate of loss is increasing, and it's interesting to see both the reasons and the political responses.

Watch Jess Green's poem here to see why! especially the end part.

Scroll down and watch the YouTube clip on my link.

Ive done twenty years. I still love every day.

Sorry if this has been answered, I tried to read thread carefully.

What is the attrition rate in other professions, how do they compare? Coz the stat is meaningless without that info.

A lot of professionals branch out to somewhat different directions after a few yrs, but still using their degree usually.

I think the problem is that, because modern teaching has such unique pressures, it is a job that is almost always going to become unbearably stressful for anyone not ideally suited to it. I think that most teachers could cope with either excessive workload OR dealing with unreasonable behaviour all day long - it is the relentless combination of both that means most teachers do burn out.

Lost, that is EXACTLY it. If I were in charge of 12 kids who behaved beautifully, i'd embarce the paperwork and stats. As i'm in charge of 31, a third of whom have issues, I don't really. The paperwork is almost double what it might be without the issues, due to IEP, 121, provision mapping etc etc, plus i'm dealing with those issues day in day out, which is exhausting.

Kendodd - I left after 11 years and had a successful second career in admin. I then had a family and have gone into cover supervision/supply in order to be able to look after my children in the evenings/holidays and still have a satisfying career. I have enjoyed all of my jobs, but can't imagine managing to teach and maintain a good family life. You need to be ruthlessly organised, and have a very supportive partner judging by my colleagues who do manage that.

I left a permanent job last Easter for supply. One evening my DD cried as I couldn't watch her assembly. The lightning bolt struck.
I was spending so much time with other people's children and counting the minutes til they were in bed so I could spend a few more hrs getting work done.
Most supply was for long term positions where the teacher was off sick. I didn't want that pressure. I wanted to be able to see an assembly or watch the DC get a merit certificate, not just a photo a friend would kindly take for me .
Maybe that is having your cake and eating it. My DC will be the ones looking after me when I'm old (hopefully!).

Now I've got a long term cover as a TA. I leave at 4 every day and spend the rest of the evening with my family. I have taken a pay cut but I have time to organise meals and shop on less money. Swings and roundabouts.

It's so sad that the profession is being slowly strangled

I didn't 'leave' teaching. I just didn't apply for permanent teaching jobs after I finished my training and my supply offers dried up. I realised I needed more money, applied for graduate schemes, and got offered one with better pay, better hours and with better promotional opportunities. Never looked back since.