A pressing issue looms within the educational landscape of the UK as teachers grapple with finding a balance between work and motherhood.
Vickie Johnson, a deputy headteacher from a primary school in Greater Manchester, faced daunting challenges as she prepared for the arrival of her child.
Despite pouring her heart into her role with grueling 60-hour workweeks, she quickly realized that such a demanding schedule would severely impact her ability to bond with her new baby.
Struggles for Flexible Work Arrangements
When she returned from maternity leave, Johnson aimed for a part-time position, ideally working two and a half days a week.
Unfortunately, her plea was met with the kind of resistance that has become all too common in schools.
Flexibility in working hours seemed like a distant dream.
The only options available were a full-time return or complete resignation.
In the end, she made the painful decision to walk away from a fulfilling 15-year teaching career.
Johnson’s story is not unique.
At just 35 years old, she reflects the experiences of many teachers in the profession.
Over the past year, more than 9,000 women between the ages of 30 and 39 left teaching in England, largely due to the struggle of juggling parenting with the relentless demands of the job.
The National Education Union stepped in to support Johnson, offering assistance in advocating for more flexible working conditions.
However, the thought of a prolonged fight to return to a potentially unwelcoming environment felt daunting to her.
Government Initiatives and Personal Experience
On a hopeful note, Johnson acknowledged recent government initiatives aimed at fostering flexible work arrangements in education.
She believes these efforts are vital to solving the ongoing issues of teacher retention and recruitment.
In her prior role, Johnson had championed a policy that allowed teachers to work from home part-time, enabling them to handle lesson planning and grading more efficiently.
Regrettably, this initiative was terminated after just six months due to worries about productivity.
Johnson is convinced that granting educators the trust to manage their schedules is essential, citing the success of flexible work in various other sectors.
Since leaving the classroom, Johnson shifted gears and began lecturing undergraduates, albeit for a reduced salary.
Currently, she enjoys a part-time senior position with Manchester City Council, which offers the flexibility she craves.
This experience raises pertinent questions for her regarding the rigid structures that prevail in schools.
The Need for Cultural Change
In addition to her work, Johnson is pursuing a doctorate that focuses on flexible working in educational leadership.
Her research involves engaging with school leaders who implement various flexible models, such as condensed hours and job-sharing, and those who have left the profession due to inflexible demands.
She argues that a reluctance to embrace change among education leaders and governing bodies is rooted in a long-standing tradition of rigidity within the profession.
Johnson’s primary concern lies in the fact that even as policies evolve to promote flexible working, individual employers continue to have the final say over accommodating such requests.
She believes that true progress requires more than just new policies; a cultural revolution within the education system is crucial to retaining talented educators, especially mothers in their 30s, who play an indispensable role in the workforce.
Source: The Guardian