Can I be a teacher with tattoos

I’ve covered from neck to feet but I’ve been covered up as a pub manager for a few years. I’ve tutored mathematics but I feel like I would be disqualified from teaching

Hello @halyckyi

Nope - you are NOT disqualified from being a teacher due to your body art. You would need your GCSE's, (Eng/Maths L4/C+, and a science were you to want to teaching in Primary) and a degree to do a teacher training course, that would award you with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)

There will be some course providers and school that may not consider you as an applicant, but they will be in a minority, so do sufficient research before applying.

The Get into Teaching team can help you with an application if you'd like!

All the best, Jane

You can't discriminate against someone because they have a tattoo.

Sure you can. Having a tattoo isn't a protected characteristic. Whether it would be reasonable not to give someone a job because they have tattoos is up for debate, but it's certainly lawful. And that is important, because as much as some of us on here can rubbish the idea, it's important for the OP to realise and acknowledge that there are people and schools out there would be do that, and those people may, at some point, prevent the OP from getting a job. However, I do agree that the number of such people should be far less nowadays, and certainly in a small minority providing the tattoos can be entirely covered, and even mostly covered providing what is visible is tasteful (again, a subjective assessment). But the OP would certainly not be disqualified from teaching, and unless the tattoos cannot be covered up to a large extent, I don't see why they would choose to not to pursue a teaching career because of their tattoos.

For the most part a collar or high neck jumper in combination with my hair would cover quite a bit. Thick tights/ trousers and long sleeves solve other problems. Genuinely most of my colleagues don’t know how heavily tattooed I am

Needing to wear trousers or long sleeves to cover tattoos isn't unusual and isn't a problem. Needing a combination of a collar and (presumably long) hair to cover the rest is a little less common, but in practice it's all about what is visible. When you say "quite a bit" I'm not clear on whether everything is covered when you take those steps, or whether some tattoos are still on show. It seems like some are still visible, in which case as I say, it depends on what it is as to how much of an issue it causes. Unless it's particularly egregious though, I still don't think it should stop you pursuing this career.

I think a dive bartender is a great career for you...

Tattoos are a form of behavior. Same as a bumper sticker. Vandalizing your body is your choice. Hiring you is my choice. I don't hire people with tattoos.

We say:

"Thank you for interviewing with us today. We are in the process of selecting candidates for the position. Someone may contact you for a followup interview. We will keep your resume on file and let you know"

Can you guess where your resume goes after you leave the office?

Yup. Thats right ...

How would what happens in the world of Land Rover sales be relevant to our thread starter here? We've already had several current teachers respond.

Who implied it was only applicable to the world of Land Rover sales?

Well, you gave a specific example of a faux acknowledgement letter that you would send to someone with tattoos who wanted to be employed in your sector. A few respondees have already commented as to how they're likely to be considered in the specific field that the OP here is interested in.

Have you worked in teacher recruitment?

And you assumed it only applies in the world of Land Rover sales.

Since when is discrimination limited to a specific industry?

Fair enough.

I don't know anything about the type of teaching in the OP, type of school, supply vs. demand for qualified teachers, if a government job (teaching at prison) or private sector job. Nor do I know about the product being offered to the students, or what power the students have in accepting or determining the quality of the teacher (rating professors). The turnover rate of students in the teachers class etc.

What I do know is you're dealing with the general public. Not having tattoos won't hurt you. Having tattoos will only work against you.

Life is hard enough, without tattoos. Why shoot yourself in the foot? Why give yourself a disadvantage?