Education : Overview

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More in this section

1. Overview
2. Job roles
3. Entry and progression
4. Typical employers
5. Opportunities abroad
6. Future trends
7. Jargon buster
8. Contacts and resources

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Case studies

• Montessori teacher: Marika Tozer
• Primary school teacher: Jane

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The sector in a nutshell

The education sector can be divided into three main areas:

• school education;
• further education (FE);
• higher education (HE).

Education also takes place in non-school settings, such as hospitals and prisons.

Teaching is the main area of work. There are also teaching-related roles such as teaching assistants in schools and educational psychologists, as well as positions in areas such as policy making, administration and technical support.

The primary and secondary education systems in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are similar in their administration. Scotland has a completely separate system, with its own rules and practices.

There is a fairly constant demand for graduates in teaching, although there may be shortages in certain subject areas, such as science and mathematics, and the availability of posts varies between the regions/nations of the UK. There is currently more competition for positions in primary schools than in secondary education.

What kind of work can I do?

People who work in education include those who have direct teaching roles and those involved in various kinds of administration and support.

Teaching posts are available in:

• primary and secondary schools, both state-run and private;
• FE and HE colleges;
• universities;
• adult education institutes, particularly evening classes;
• hospitals;
• prisons and detention centres;
• the armed forces;
• professional bodies and training organisations for instructors and trainers in professional and business skills;
• museums and galleries, etc., to provide sessions for the general public and specialists.

Teachers also work as private tutors on a one-to-one basis.

Administration and support roles are many and various, particularly now that educational institutions are making their facilities available for conferences and other activities. There are posts in:

• management;
• finance;
• administration;
• libraries;
• careers and welfare advice;
• educational psychology;
• IT and technical support;
• catering and accommodation;
• maintenance and security.

For those who are not attached to a specific institution, there are roles in:

• school inspection;
• policy making;
• administration at national and regional level;
• examining and marking.

What’s it like working in this sector?

The education sector is a challenging, rewarding and inspiring area in which to work. Many educators enjoy their work because of the great satisfaction that comes from imparting knowledge about a subject they are passionate about, and helping students learn and develop. Teaching is not easy though - there will always be difficult students, and class control may be challenging. Salaries in education, including teaching, are comparable to those of other graduate jobs in the public sector and related professions.

Have a look at the teaching and education sector, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and specific job roles for details of pay scales and training.

Working hours in education are generally Monday to Friday and usually between 8am and 6pm, although not all of that time is spent in the classroom or lecture theatre. For school teachers, after-hours clubs and staff meetings involve work into the evenings, and FE lecturers usually teach at least one evening a week. Teachers are entitled to 13 weeks’ holiday a year, and lecturers in FE and HE usually have at least 35 days’ annual leave plus public holidays. Although the holidays appear generous, teaching in the education sector involves preparation time and work out of hours to complete administration and marking. University lecturers are expected to pursue research and scholarship outside teaching hours and in vacations. This means that working hours in education can be long and hard, especially at the beginning of your career, but they can also be flexible and there are opportunities for part-time work and job-share.

Administration and other support staff in educational institutions usually have the same working hours as similar roles in other sectors, though some overtime may be required at busy periods. Part-time hours and flexible working are often available.

How big is this sector?

In January 2009, there were over 440,000 teachers in almost 25,000 schools in England, and 57,000 teachers in almost 2,900 schools in Scotland.

In the UK in 2008, there were over 220,000 teaching staff in FE colleges and 175,000 academic staff in 169 HE institutions.

All these institutions also need administrative staff and are supported by staff in other educational bodies whose functions cover areas such as quality control and examinations.

Where can I work?

There are opportunities in all areas of education and education support throughout the UK. If you want to work abroad, there are openings worldwide for English language teachers (ELT), teaching in English-speaking countries and institutions and volunteering.