New research from Blue Light Card’s Teacher Impact Report shows 63% of Brits believe teachers deserve more recognition, while almost one in three say they couldn’t do the job themselves — even for a single week
Brits are demanding greater recognition for teachers, as fresh research shows nearly one in three acknowledge they couldn’t handle the role themselves.
The study, commissioned by Blue Light Card, the UK’s dedicated reward service for the teaching community, NHS, emergency services, armed forces and social care workers, discovered 63% of Brits believe teachers deserve more acknowledgement for their societal contribution*.
Six in ten Brits say they wish they had thanked a teacher for the difference they made, while 59% confess they value teachers more now than during their school days.
However, despite many Brits recognising teachers’ importance, many still consider them undervalued, with 53% stating they don’t receive the credit they’re due.
The research also revealed 30% of Brits say completing a teacher’s job for merely one week would be “impossible”.
These findings come from Blue Light Card’s new Teacher Impact Report, a nationwide study examining teachers’ enduring influence beyond the classroom, published as schools throughout the UK prepare to break up for summer and Blue Light Card urges the nation to honour teachers for shaping far more than simply exam results.
The campaign has the backing of Lee Parkinson MBE, a primary school teacher and education content creator recognised for services to education. Better known as Mr. P, he has amassed a national following through his honest, humorous and heartfelt portrayal of classroom life. The report discovered teachers’ impact is frequently experienced long after students leave school, through the characteristics people say they bring into adulthood.
Curiosity surfaced as the leading quality teachers instil in the nation, identified by one in five Brits. Confidence came in a close second, selected by 19%, while 16% stated resilience was the most significant quality they gained from a teacher.
As thousands of teachers refresh their Blue Light Card membership this summer, Blue Light Card is urging eligible members of the teaching community to verify their membership status, enabling them to keep accessing savings, rewards and benefits through the Blue Light Card app and website.
The research also indicates many people only truly value the role teachers played years after they’ve left school.
On average, Brits say they don’t fully recognise teachers’ contributions until their late 20s or early 30s, with having children of their own the most common trigger for that realisation, cited by 34%.
Neil Caldicott, Chief Marketing Officer from Blue Light Card said: “Teachers give people qualities that can stay with them for life. Curiosity, confidence and resilience are what the nation credits them with the most, but our findings also show teachers help people speak up, think for themselves and keep going when things are hard.
“Over a third (33%) of Brits told us that exclusive perks and offers from brands would make teachers and staff feel more valued, and that’s exactly the gap Blue Light Card exists to close. We’re proud to stand alongside the people who show up for our communities every day, and teachers deserve to hear a proper thank you.”
Mr. Parkinson went on to say: “These findings really echo the reality of teaching. Teachers do far more than help children through lessons or exams, they help build confidence, curiosity and resilience, often in ways pupils only fully appreciate years later.
“The fact that six in ten Brits wish they had thanked a teacher, and almost one in three say they could not do the job themselves, shows just how much respect there is for the profession. Now feels like the perfect moment to turn that respect into a proper thank you.”
* The Blue Light Card is open to those currently working in or retired from a broad range of frontline roles, encompassing the NHS, emergency services, social care, education and the armed forces.