More teachers taking on second jobs amid increased financial woes 

A new survey of teachers in Scotland has highlighted worsening financial pressures in the profession, with many reporting reduced personal spending and increased money worries compared with last year.

NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union found that 14% of teachers have taken a second job to supplement their income, up from 11% last year, with some working as counsellors, delivery drivers, and as bar and shop staff, alongside tutoring and exam marking.

The survey also found:

• 31% of teachers are very worried about their financial situation, up from 27% last year;
• 72% have cut back on food expenditure, up from 54% last year;
• 53% have increased their use of credit cards, up from 36% last year;
• 45% have cut back on essential household items, up from 36% last year;
• 66% have stopped saving, up from 61% last year;
• 37% are finding it difficult to cover energy bills, up from 28.8% last year.

According to the union, some teachers also said they were spending their own money on food and school trips in order to support disadvantaged pupils and create equal opportunities for all of their pupils, adding further pressure to their personal finances.

Matt Wrack, NASUWT general secretary, said: “The Scottish Government needs to face facts: the cost of living crisis is only getting worse. We have one of the most developed economies in the world, yet our teachers – who already work long hours – are taking on second jobs to cover the basics. This is a shameful state of affairs. 

“We’re asking the Scottish Government and COSLA to stop dragging their heels in agreeing the 2025/26 pay award for teachers. We need full pay restoration and a long term, sustainable package that allows teachers to focus on the essential work of educati​ng children. Right now, we have too many teachers worried about putting food on the table and keeping the lights on.”

Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, said: “Teachers in Scotland face unique challenges that demand unique solutions. We have an unstable job market that fails to produce permanent roles for a high number of teachers, especially those earlier in their careers. 

“Then we have violent and abusive behaviour in classrooms, skyrocketing workloads, and when teachers want to support their pupils with ASN, we’re not able to give them the resources they need. It feels like we’re setting Scottish teachers up to fail.” 

He added: “Time is running out to offer teachers basic job security, safety in the classroom, and a salary to match their skills and workload. If the Scottish Government wants to keep teachers in the profession, they need to do better – and they need to do it now.”