The education sector can be divided into three main areas:
- school education;
- further education (FE); and
- higher education (HE).
Education also takes place in non-school settings, such as hospitals and prisons. Teaching is the main area of work, but is not the only role in education. There are roles in finance, administration and technical support, as well as roles for teaching assistants and educational psychologists.
What kind of work can I do?
There are different roles available within the sector, such as:
- primary school teacher;
- secondary school teacher;
- special needs co-ordinator;
- teacher in a further education (FE) college;
- lecturer in a university;
- school librarian;
- adult education provider, teaching basic skills to adults in the evenings;
- teacher in a prison or hospital;
- bursar responsible for the financial running of a school;
- educational psychologist working with children in schools;
- English teacher in a foreign school or college.
What’s it like working in this sector?
The education sector is a challenging, rewarding and inspiring area in which to work. Many educators feel the reason they enjoy their work is the satisfaction of imparting knowledge, normally about a subject they are passionate about. Teaching is not easy though, there will always be difficult pupils and class control can be quite challenging.
Graduate salaries are improving, especially in teaching, where a newly qualified teacher (NQT) will start on a salary of at least £20,133 (£24,168 in London) and can rise to as much as £34,281 (salary data collected Aug 07). Additional allowances may be paid for excellence and for management responsibilities.
There are training bursaries available for some postgraduate courses for priority subjects and ‘golden hellos’ are paid. In 2008, there will be a £4,000 bursary for primary postgraduate training. The subjects and the amounts paid do alter yearly and up-to-date information is available from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
How big is this sector?
In January 2006, there were 8.2million pupils in 25,200 maintained and independent schools in England and Wales. Scotland runs its own education system and there are over 702,000 pupils in 2,900 schools. According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), formerly the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), there are over 382,000 teachers working in England, split mainly between primary and secondary schools. In higher education, higher education institutions (HEIs) support approximately 280,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, equivalent to 1.2% of total UK employment, according to Univerities UK (The Economic Impact of Higher Education, Universities UK, May 2006).
Where can I work?
Geographically, there are opportunities everywhere. There are also numerous opportunities abroad, with countries in the EU, Asia and Africa requiring English language teachers (ELT).
- www.astarteachers.co.uk
Teachers Recruiting Teachers Top Jobs & Money for Perm & Supply
- www.rdi.co.uk/Education
UK University by Distance Learning Browse and Apply online now!
- www.education-jobs.co.uk
UK job listings for school and college teachers also ancillary staff. No registration required not even your email address.
- www.jobsineducation.co.uk
Jobs in Education for teaching jobs in the London and the UK, both permanent and supply teaching jobs. Hundreds of teaching jobs in primary and secondary schools.
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