On balance, I think teaching in the Scottish state-education system is better than in the English one. When I moved to Scotland, I never considered that there would be differences. Believe me, there are.

My first department meeting in Scotland was a shock. Colleagues wanted the start time noted. And then some excused themselves before the end. There was a faint murmur of some “work-time agreement”. It seems there are some rather strict rules in the document in question, and a 35-hour working week is the main principle of the 2001 McCrone agreement.

Were these teachers less professional? Less engaged in educational debate? Absolutely not. I’ve never seen a group so engaged, so passionate.

When I pottered out of school at 5pm, there were few cars left in the car park. What utopia was this, where people did their work at home and weren’t judged? In England, teachers definitely cannot work in a place of their own choosing. I remember it being frowned upon to go off site during lunchtime.

Teachers have a much stronger voice here. In England, I felt a sense of place - and not in a good way. My opinion wasn’t needed and it would be clear when it was my turn to contribute.

My experience of teachers trained in Scotland is that they have a more holistic view of education. The system north of the border does not seem to lean so dramatically towards data and targets. The profession is far from perfect here - but if you were to ask me where teachers have a better time of it, I’d say Scotland comes out on top.

Sam Tassiker is a secondary teacher in Scotland