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Independent readers responding to union warnings about possible teacher strikes said the crisis in schools runs far deeper than a single pay award, pointing instead to workload, underfunding, and a system stretched to breaking point.
Many commenters argued that headline pay rises mask a reality of falling real-terms earnings, worsened pensions and unpaid overtime, with teachers routinely working 50 to 60 hours a week during term time and much of the holidays.
They described excessive paperwork, outdated IT and a lack of SEND support as key drivers of burnout, saying staff are being asked to prop up failing systems with their own time and money.
Cost and fairness dominated the debate. Some readers backed industrial action as inevitable after years of erosion in pay and conditions, warning that schools face a growing recruitment and retention crisis as teachers leave for the private sector or jobs overseas.
Others were more sceptical, arguing that strikes risk fuelling inflation and that productivity, not pay demands, is the real issue.
Overall, readers painted a picture of a profession under relentless pressure. While our community were divided on solutions, they were largely united in the view that long-term underinvestment has left schools – and staff – close to the edge.
Here’s what you had to say:
Teachers work more than 50 hours a week
Teachers got 5.5 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent in 2025 – lower than private sector pay increases. Given that the teaching contract stipulates that teachers must work whatever additional hours are necessary to carry out a professional standard of work, most teachers work more than 50 hours a week during term time and also work several hours a week during holidays.
I used to be a maths teacher and frequently worked more than 60 hours a week during term time, and spent a lot of time during holidays marking test papers (which our department scheduled for the week before each holiday) and preparing lessons for the next term.
The amount of paperwork demanded was ridiculous, as was the lack of resources available – I used to subsidise the school by buying resources for my classes so they had variety in lessons. There were very few resources available for SEND and lower-ability classes.
Having been a teacher for 17 years, and having observed several areas of different NHS organisations from the point of view of a patient, partner and parent of patients – and also as a local councillor who had many meetings with local NHS officials – I have a number of ideas for improving efficiency and effectiveness in education and the health service. But all would take significant initial investment to increase frontline staff, provide more training, completely upgrade IT systems and provide more practical resources.
Frontline staffing is spread so thinly in most sectors, and IT systems and equipment are so outdated that it is impossible for staff to do their jobs efficiently or effectively. Most local authority services are so under-resourced that they only deal with situations after they reach emergency level, by which time they are far more expensive and time-consuming to deal with – putting out a blazing fire and rebuilding is far more expensive than preventative measures that stop fires taking hold.
The cost-cutting of the Thatcher years, and then the Cameron et al years, means that there hasn’t been the infrastructure, training and staffing investment put in place to take a proactive approach to public health, local services and education. As a result, the remit for each has been narrowed to meet easily quantified targets, but misses the really important work that would make a difference and help things run smoothly.
Perhaps everyone should strike?
Perhaps everyone should strike, get pay increases, experience the resulting inflation, and go around again?
No economic principle mandates that pay must rise alongside the cost of living, and it tended not to throughout history. The fact is, real purchasing power has not increased for decades, and this will not change until we get a significant rise in productivity.
A recruitment crisis is coming
I commented in about 2018 that teachers talked about leaving the profession, but very few actually did.
Teaching has got significantly more challenging since Covid, and pay and pensions have worsened. If the private sector starts picking up and recruiting again, I foresee difficult times ahead for schools.
Either everyone can strike, or nobody
The right of striking should be either extended to every single worker – or abolished.
Most professions are not represented by unions, can’t strike, and have to work hard to earn a salary increase. Some others just have to push the magic button and get an auto increase. Either everybody can do it, or nobody.
Teachers are leaving for work abroad
I’ve never understood why teachers agree to do so much unpaid overtime. They face abuse all day, then go home and spend the evenings marking work, planning lessons and answering questions from parents. I’m surprised there are any left.
Some countries understand the connection between economic performance and education. We’re just interested in lower taxes. Schools are facing a recruitment crisis because working conditions and pay are so poor. Many of those who are left are just building their CVs to get better work abroad.
Replace teachers with AI
They got a massive pay deal from Labour after getting an above-average pay deal from the Tories. It’s time we looked at AI in the classroom. No more teachers, but better-paid teaching assistants who would work with the AI. Other countries have already started on this path, and it’s time we followed.
Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
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