The British Council faces criticism for its hiring practices of agency teachers on zero-hour contracts, forcing them into competitive bidding for lessons. An open letter highlighted the pressures faced by up to 350 teachers worldwide, where available classes are quickly booked, leaving some without any work. Following a shift post-pandemic to use partner agencies for recruitment, concerns mount over gig economy practices infiltrating education. Amidst government moves to restrict exploitative contracts, unions warn of broader casualization trends, affecting even respected institutions like Oxford University.
"Teachers used to be directly employed by the British Council, but after the pandemic, the council's commercial arm started recruiting teachers via partner agencies."
"The government has announced legislation to ban exploitative zero-hour contracts, which will require firms to offer agency workers a minimum contract to prevent evasion of restrictions."
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