Top graduates are being urged to go into teaching by a campaign saying the job is “not as bad as people think”.
Teachers are paid more than most people realise and are increasingly held in high regard by their family and friends, according to the Teaching Agency.
It comes after the two biggest teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers and NASUWT, said teachers are leaving the profession in droves because of excessive workloads and attacks on their pensions.
But a campaign by the Teaching Agency, which is responsible for training all new teachers, said people need to take a fresh look at the “modern day realities” of teaching.
A survey released today by the agency found that one in three students are put off teaching because of misconceptions over pay. The starting salary for a teacher in inner London is £27,000, but more than a quarter of students surveyed thought it was £23,000.
And teachers can expect a 30 per cent pay rise after their first four years. Experienced primary and secondary teachers can earn up to £64,000 in London.
Lin Hinnigan, chief executive of the Teaching Agency, said: “It appears that some graduates are basing important career decisions on inaccurate perceptions. Teaching is increasingly a career for the most able graduates with prospects that compare favourably to other graduate professions.”
Fiona Cherry, 28, is head of year nine and a language teacher at St Cecilia’s school in Wandsworth. She has worked there for four years and earns £33,500.
She said: “I feel that the pay in teaching compares favourably with the private sector. It is quite good compared to some of my friends. I love my job.
"Some people might feel like their morale is low but it could be to do with where they work. You can make of teaching what you want.”
