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Hey guys... anyone from the UK want to help me understand the UK teaching profession? If I am working in NJ USA and currently making $60,000, how would my lifestyle change if I moved to the UK to teach? I have a masters degree in Physics Education and 3 years experience. Basically I am considering a move and the UK seemed like it needs good Physics educators from the last news story I read.... but I don't want my cost of living to go up and have a decrease in my income! :(

Well, to be honest, I'd advise against it. Teachers are paid crap, and the cost of living here is astronomical.

Teachers aren't paid crap. Yeah, they constantly say things like "We don't get enough money", but every winging bastard in the UK says that.

Having said that I don't think it would be worth a move for you as the higher cost of living would mean you'd probably end up getting paid less.

I agree with Jazz on that one, teachers here get paid a reasonable wage (it all depends on your school, your department and your "rank" though). If they want something to strike over, why not attack the amount of work they have to do? Makes more sense to me >.<

If you dig around on this site you should find some info relevant to your needs.

Basic cost of living is more here, not really sure exactly how much you pay in tax etc at the moment so I can't comment on monies. But teachers can make decent money, and the promotion prospects are pretty good and easily available.

.... without meaning to sound like the UK is full of feral youths all out stabbing each other : a FOAF came over from the states a couple of years back and quickly became very disillusioned. She said that the Uk kids had a lot less respect for teachers or authority and were generally much more ill mannered than the kids she'd taught in the US. In fairness she wasn't working at a great school over here by a long stretch.

That said she liked the food so she might have been mad.

As someone who worked as a Physics teacher over here for just over 4 years, I can only give you one piece of advice.


FOR GODS SAKE DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!


Every foreign teacher I met said that the behaviour of UK pupils was much worse than anything they had experienced in their country of origin.

One poor sod came from southern africa (can't remember which country). The kids there were utterly desperate to get any sort of education and really appreciated teachers. He came to a nation which (to my deep patriotic shame) raises kids to despise education. Virtually the first thing kids learn is that teachers aren't allowed to do anything meaningful to punish disobedience, so they have carte blanche to do what they want.
The teacher in question quit after 4 months with a nervous breakdown.


The ONLY caveat I would offer is if you can get a job in a private school or a public school. Parents have to pay to send their children so are deeply invested in making sure that they do well.
Rates of pay are generally higher for teachers in such schools, holidays are often longer and there is a much broader range of extra-curricular stuff you can get involved in.

But avoid our state schools like the plague!