Employment in a job which has good trade union representation and a very good pension plan is one of the long term benefits few self-employed or private employees appreciate until it's too late- that's why teachers civil servants and university lecturers start to smile a lot as they reach their late 50s....
It's not so hot for recent entrants to the profession. While the pension payable is now 1/57th of salary for every year worked instead of 1/80th, the lump sum has disappeared and the pension is payable at 62 with actuarial reductions as opposed to 55 with actuarial reductions. Under the current pressures in schools, I don't envisage many new entrants reaching pensionable age before bailing out for other employment. Very few of my colleagues are smiling as they hang on in the classroom for their pensions to become payable.
Very few entrants to the profession do so because of the pension scheme. It's only in the past few years that I have come to realise how good it is. I doubt that 'How attractive is your pension scheme?' is a question raised by any candidates for any job at the start of a career. Retirement seems to be a lifetime away at the time and beer, sex and good times are more pressing issues as far as quality of life is concerned.
Ten years ago I actively encouraged folk to join what I regarded as one of the most rewarding, in terms of job satisfaction, careers. Now, at best, I am non-committal when asked about teaching as a career. The job has become a GCSE grade delivery unit management one and education is a peripheral task.