Teaching Abroad Direct
Workplace discrimination (in an environment like a school), can unfortunately happen from time to time. Discrimination is when an employee or job applicant is treated unfairly or unfavourably because of specific personal characteristics such as gender, race, sexuality, disability and so on.
In a school or university setting, discrimination can occur in various ways, such as passing over a qualified teacher for a promotion because of their skin colour, offering lower pay packages for the same workload based on gender, subjecting a staff member to a hostile work environment, or refusing to hire someone based on who they are rather than their qualifications.
Discrimination generally falls into two primary categories: direct discrimination, where someone is treated explicitly worse than others due to a protected trait (such as refusing to hire a teacher because of their ethnicity), and indirect discrimination, where a universal policy or requirement inadvertently puts a specific group at an unfair disadvantage without a specific job-related justification.
In the UK, teachers across primary, secondary and higher education are protected by the Equality Act 2010. This statutory framework prohibits discrimination across nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Under this law, UK educational institutions and schools must follow strict guidelines regarding recruitment, pay scales and advances, disciplinary actions and working conditions. A teacher can take their employer to an employment tribunal if they feel they have breached the Equality Act.
A common misconception among teachers moving abroad is that these protections travel with them. Unless you remain directly employed by a UK-registered school, UK equality laws don't apply once you cross borders. When you sign a contract with an overseas school or university, your rights are governed strictly by the local labour laws of that country, and some laws treat discrimination very differently.
Gulf nations have updated their labour laws for workers fairly recently. For instance, the UAE updated their labour laws for workers in 2022 to include things like annual leave entitlements during probation periods, changes to three year fixed-term contracts, flexible working, protection from discrimination, maternity leave and end of service gratuity. Although there are anti-hatred decrees (such as the UAE’s Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 prohibiting workplace discrimination), a sharp divide remains between statutory law on paper and the actual reality that teachers experience day to day.
Because international schools operate within the broader context of employer sponsorship, historically known as the Kafala system, power dynamics between schools and expat teachers are very different from that in the UK.
It's standard commercial practice in many international schools across the Gulf to tier salary and housing allowances by passport origin rather than pure teaching experience. Schools frequently offer higher base salaries, generous housing allowances and flight stipends to teachers holding passports from the UK, U.S, Canada, Australia and Ireland compared to equally qualified teachers holding passports from South Asia, the Philippines or African nations. Teachers have virtually no legal grounds to challenge unequal pay. Salaries are treated strictly as a matter of private contract negotiation.
There's also a significant lack of LGBTQ+ rights in many Gulf countries. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected characteristics and remain criminalised under law. International schools often maintain strict conduct clauses or public morality standards within their contracts. Bringing attention to one's personal life or advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the classroom can lead not only to instant dismissal for breach of contract, but also to police intervention, visa cancellation and deportation.
Challenging an employer over unfair treatment carries risks, as your legal residency is directly tied to your employment contract. If you're a LGBTQ+ teacher, you may want to be mindful of where you want to teach and opt for countries that are more welcoming such as Thailand, Germany, Spain, Taiwan and Uruguay.
Thailand’s Labour Protection Act regulates basic employment standards like working hours, leave and severance, while the constitution prohibits discrimination in principle. In practice, unlike in the UK, where requesting photos or specifying age limits on job postings is illegal, Thai job adverts routinely ask for a head-shot with a CV and explicitly list strict age windows. Job adverts may specify age limits (often capping hires at 50 or 60 years old due to visa restrictions).
Thailand is also a country with a reputation for native-speaker bias, where schools may restrict native-English teaching positions based on passport nationality or skin tone. The Thai Ministry of Education officially recognises two types of foreign teacher – Native English Speakers (NES) who are natively from the UK, U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The other kind is Non-Native English Speakers (NNES). Hiring managers have been known to favour light-skinned candidates under the guise of 'parental expectation.' Qualified Black, Asian or ethnically diverse teachers holding UK or U.S passports frequently report being passed over in favour of less-qualified white applicants, or being asked during interviews to provide audio samples to prove they lack a regional accent.
This isn't just a discrimination issue that is restricted to Thailand. It happens in many other countries too. A South African teacher who has taught in Qatar, Serbia, Kuwait and the UAE shared her thoughts on her teaching career on her blog, Expat Panda:
“There were so many times I applied for a job and received an interview. While I was so ecstatic to proceed to the next step, I never enjoyed the look of disappointment on their faces (especially if it was over Skype), when they realised that I wasn’t white. Apparently if you speak English you must be white. The idea that someone could be American or Australian but not white is quite baffling to some narrow minded schools abroad. I know for a fact that I have been rejected for job offers in favour of less experienced and less qualified individuals from the same country as me, just because they were white.”
Because candidates are applying as foreign nationals on work visas, there's virtually no legal avenue or administrative body in Thailand where an applicant can appeal or report discriminatory hiring practices based on race, origin or physical appearance.
South Korea's Labour Standards Act protects workers against discrimination based on gender, nationality, religion or social status. However, teachers may be subjected to mandatory medical checks (including drug screenings and HIV testing), that national teachers are not always required to undergo.
South Korea also doesn't have a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Efforts to pass an overarching national anti-discrimination law covering age, sexual orientation and ethnicity have faced long-standing delays. No specific laws exist to protect migrant workers or gender minorities from discrimination, and South Korea doesn't recognise discrimination in relation to certain groups within society.
Workplace pressure in South Korea's private education sector (hagwons) can be intense. As reported by The Korea Times in May 2026, one foreign teacher (who later became a union leader), recalled breaking her foot and still being forced to teach. When she sat down during a student exam to relieve the physical pain, her director monitored her on CCTV and entered the classroom to berate her publicly.
Because foreign educators under South Korea's E-2 visa framework often require a Letter of Release (LOR) from their current employer to switch schools, reporting mistreatment or leaving a hostile environment carries severe risks. This dynamic has driven teachers to form dedicated foreign language union branches under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) to advocate for workplace rights, educate expats on their local labour protections, and campaign for national anti-discrimination legislation.
Japan’s Labour Standards Act (Article 3) explicitly prohibits employers from discriminating regarding wages or working hours based on nationality, creed or social status. That said, many foreign teachers in private language schools or university roles are frequently placed on fixed-term (Gyomu Entaku or Keiyaku) contracts, which offer fewer statutory protections against non-renewal compared to permanent staff.
There have also been recent regulatory pushes to focus on closing Japan's gender pay gap of around 22%. Women teachers frequently report informal pushback when taking parental leave, as private institutions often expect contract workers to forfeit contracts during extended absences rather than hold their position.
LGBTQ+ teachers also face grey legal areas. While some municipal governments recognise same-sex partnerships, Japan's national labour laws do not mandate non-discrimination protections for sexual orientation in the private sector.
If you're a teacher heading to European Union member states like Spain, Italy or Germany, discrimination laws are very similar to that of the UK thanks to EU-wide directives. The EU Employment Equality Framework Directive sets a mandatory baseline across all member countries, strictly banning discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation in employment. The Racial Equality Directive prohibits racial and ethnic discrimination.
Navigating workplace discrimination as a teacher abroad requires a delicate balance of advocating for yourself and preserving your emotions. If you decide to take a teacher role where labour laws don't offer a safety net, it's important to keep the right frame of mind and perspective. Remember that the entire world is yours to explore – you don't have to waste your time and energy teaching in a system or school that mistreats you. A key technique is not to take bias or racism personally. The reasons behind it usually stem from ignorance rather than malice. Remember the key reasons you decided to teach abroad, and consider whether you have the emotional energy to challenge it (or not).
The easiest time to handle workplace bias is during the interview and application process. If a recruiter or interviewer makes subtle comments about your accent, asks for inappropriate photos, or hints that a school 'prefers a certain look for parents,' view it as a preview of that school's workplace culture. It's your decision as to whether you feel you can navigate this or walk away. If you decide the latter, politely thank them for their time and redirect your energy towards institutions that value your qualifications over your demographic profile. If you do experience discrimination during the application process, you can stop it at any time, explain to the recruiter and withdraw your application.
Decide on which schools you'll apply to very carefully. Remember that a high tax-free salary cannot compensate for a toxic environment that threatens your well-being or visa status. Check for accrediting bodies and schools affiliated with reputable international organisations like the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), or Council of International Schools (CIS). You can also join expat teacher groups on social media or reach out to former staff privately to ask questions.
Never assume basic statutory rights exist unless they are written down. Your employment contract is your main source of information. Ensure the employee handbook or contract outlines a clear, internal appeal process for workplace harassment, unequal pay or contract disputes before you accept your offer. Be cautious of any vague 'moral clauses' written into the contract. In some regions these clauses can be used by management to terminate employment without cause for things they claim to be relating to 'local customs' or 'public image'.
If you experience unfair treatment or harassment, local labour boards and internal HR departments may want evidence. Keep a log of any events. Write down the date, time, location, exact quotes and names of any witnesses present during discriminatory incidents (such as micro-aggressions, explicit remarks on nationality or denied promotions). Keep any relevant emails, WhatsApp messages or formal memos where discriminatory language or pay differentials are mentioned. Avoid relying on verbal assurances from administrators. If it isn't in writing, it didn't happen.
In many foreign jurisdictions, your work visa, legal residency and housing are directly controlled by your employer. In countries operating under strict employer sponsorship, challenging school leadership can trigger visa cancellations, etc. Start planning an exit strategy if internal resolution fails and the environment becomes hostile. Aim to secure a mutual release of contract (without financial penalties or employment bans), or focus on completing your contract term quietly while securing a next position elsewhere. Teaching Abroad Direct can help you find your next teaching position if you take a look at our jobs board.
At Teaching Abroad Direct, we help UK teachers secure jobs in international schools around the world.
Visit www.teachingabroaddirect.co.uk to learn more about teaching opportunities overseas.
Teaching Abroad Direct regularly speaks with British teachers currently working overseas.
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