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‘I couldn’t be a full-time teacher and a good parent’

‘I couldn’t be a full-time teacher and a good parent’

Teachers speak out about the ‘myth’ of flexible working, as well as the struggles of balancing their work and home lives

3rd April 2018, 3:40pm

Kate Parker

“I turned down senior leadership, went part-time and have spent the last eight years trying to make up the lost ground. It was an either/or decision as a woman, while watching male colleagues who were less experienced/knowledgeable fly past me. It isn’t equal and it isn’t fair.”

This was just one response to Tes editor Ann Mroz’s editorial on flexible working, published on Friday.

In her piece, our editor urged schools to be compassionate and flexible employers, and highlighted the government’s teacher-retention statistics: “According to Department for Education stats, 27 per cent of those leaving teaching are women in their thirties - it’s a safe bet that this is because they decide it’s impossible to balance professional lives with family responsibility.”

This resonated with a huge number of teachers, who then shared their experiences of the barriers they have faced when becoming a parent while working in education.

I suspect this also has as high impact on dads as well as mums. I’m a full-time teacher with 2 children (6+2). I tend to get home around 5.30 and try my best not to work whilst they are awake. Consequently I work from 8-10.30/11 each night. Less impact on my kids but tiring.
- bbcTeaching (@bbcTeaching) April 3, 2018

I turned down senior leadership, went part time, have spent the last eight years trying to make up the lost ground. It was an either or decision as a woman, whilst watching male colleagues who were less experienced/knowledgeable fly past me... it isn’t equal and it isn’t fair.
- Bec Tulloch (@Bectully) April 1, 2018

I took 4 years out when my twins were born then went back and spent the next 7 years feeling like I was neither a good enough mum or a good enough teacher.
- JennyCameron (@JennyCameron) April 1, 2018

Deffo I could not be a full time teacher and be a good parent. It is just a physical impossibility, I’d end up caring more for other people’s children than my own. #sadsituation
- Sarah Kathryn (@Teignrower) April 1, 2018

The work load these days is completely incompatible with having children. I worked full time throughout my career it was a job that I loved and that enabled me to bring up both my children. I feel very sad that this is no longer feasible for young teacher mums anymore.
- Chris Webb (@Chris22Webb) April 1, 2018

I’ve never had a conversation with a male colleague or friend about how having children has affected their careers
- Carolyn Stevenson (@carolynjane21) April 2, 2018

I’m 37 and leaving teaching after 15 years...for this very reason
- G-Ella (@BiGFiSH8152) April 2, 2018

It’s not just women - although I except these stats back up the majority of the profession and flexible working requests. I suspect it’s very rare to see a male school leader working part time because they have a young family?
- Ross Morrison McGill (@RossMcGill) April 3, 2018

I left after 11 years, 3.5 of them on a 50% TT. I was still doing a 35-40hr week, for £18k & v stressed. I was 37 with a child about to start primary & the thought of negotiating that as well as my marking broke me.
- Queen of the ‘stow (@queenofthestow) April 2, 2018