Graduate teachers are rapidly losing their passion for a job they originally saw as creative, challenging and rewarding.

The workload, too many government initiatives, a target-driven culture and poor discipline were the reasons cited in the research.

The General Teaching Council for England wants a nation-wide retention scheme to stop the "potentially worrying drift" away from teaching.

Schools Standards Minister David Miliband responded that teaching is more popular than ever, with 13,000 people returning to the profession last year.

What has changed in education to make teachers want to leave? How can they be motivated to stay on?

This Talking Point was suggested by Andrew Cannon, UK:

Nearly all teachers work till 9 or 10pm every night and over the weekend. Holidays are really only time for teachers to prepare for the next term's lessons. Does the government really know what happens in schools?

If you have any suggestions for Talking Points,

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Your reaction

I graduated from University 1 1/2 years ago and have been working in industry since graduating. I have recently applied to study for my PGCE. I would consider myself to be enthusiastic and would have a lot to offer teaching young people. I am certainly not na�ve about the challenges that I would face as a teacher, but the amount of paperwork and the problems of discipline is (almost) enough to put me off and make me want to keep working in a cosy (but boring) office environment. Why does such a potentially interesting, challenging and rewarding job have to ruined buy a load of bureaucratic nonsense?
Caroline, Scotland

I, for one, am very unsure if I shall be teaching in 5 years time Carolyn McCartney, England

I am in my 5th year of teaching after qualifying at the age of 38. Personally, I am sick and tired of constantly reinventing the wheel, unreasonable demands from parents, and constant initiatives. My school has only recently added 5 hours workload per week (200 hours over the year) with no increase in pay or time to do it in. I, for one, am very unsure if I shall be teaching in 5 years time - a real pity as teaching children is the best thing I have ever done and it thrills me to bits!
Carolyn McCartney, England

I have worked in jobs where you were expected to work 9-5 on the dot and no more, and other jobs where you were expected to work late regularly. The difference was that a better environment - and pay - was provided where after hours work was expected. With teachers' pay starting below �20k is it any wonder that they are disheartened?
Flash Wilson, London UK

I'm not surprised teachers will want to leave their profession. They seem to have more paperwork and targets to cope with nowadays. They can't discipline children without fear of a visitation from an angry parent. What I can't believe was the news that they are thinking of banning detentions. That's all the teachers had left as a decent form of discipline. Well, we might as well all give up now and let the kids rule the world!
Kerri, UK

The abuse, including racial, from a sizeable minority of badly behaved pupils became intolerable. Dr Laila Moore, England

I have a passion for chemistry, a PhD in the subject and both industrial and lecturing experience. After having my family I wanted to get back to work, trained as a teacher and took a 1 year post in chemistry at a state school, which historically been rated relatively highly. The few good classes were the only thing that kept me going but after a while the abuse, including racial, from a sizeable minority of badly behaved pupils became intolerable. At the same time I shouldered the workload of the previous, fully experienced teacher and found myself working until midnight, seven days a week. At the end of the year my contract ended and I took up agency teaching. I no longer tolerate behaviour that a security camera would show is simply criminal. I now teach children who want to learn, and there are precious few of them. So I earn less but I have a life.
Dr Laila Moore, England

Typical media hype. Half are due to retire, leaving about 20%, many of whom are only 'likely to' rather than 'will definitely' leave in a very long period - 5 years. Given the fact that registering this intent is likely to register as a form of protest, perhaps the real attrition rate is more like 2% per annum. No comparison is made with other professions so the report is meaningless. The real headline should be 'Teacher turnover similar to other jobs', but that does not suit the media.
Philip Morgan, UK

A good experienced classroom teacher can earn up to �31,000; a teacher in senior management role up to �36,800; an advanced skills teacher up to �44,600; and a head teacher up to �78,800. There are additional allowances of up to �3,000 for posts in London. Teachers want no testing, no assessments, more money and less hours. Teachers can expect a good pension, good career paths, yearly above inflation rises, and more importantly a job for life even if they are poor at it. Then there is the curriculum, it is standardised and given to them on a plate. Once a teacher has got through the first few years it becomes a walk in the park. Any additional effort or ambition shown by a teacher is rewarded financially. This notion that all the pupils are unruly and that all they do is test and fill forms is I'm afraid nonsense.
James, Midlands UK

The whole set up is shambolic from the top down Mike H, UK

If you took a job in a commercial company you would at least have some idea what the aim of the company was. If you become a teacher you will not have a clue what the aim of our education system is because no Secretary Of State for years has had an inkling about what education is meant to achieve. The whole set up is shambolic from the top down - no wonder there is so much apathy and disillusion amongst teachers and children.
Mike H, UK

Teachers should be allowed to teach without having to deal with the bureaucracy. They need to be able to enforce discipline without fear of recrimination, persecution or being sued by a 'wronged' child. Most of all though they need to have the respect of the children and the backing of the parents to be able to do the job properly. The government also needs to stop getting in the way.
Iain, Scotland

Many of the problems I hear about from my teacher friends are caused by a lack of clear guidance and support from department and school heads when dealing with pupils discipline issues. Much more training and support must be given to the management teams in schools to enable them to support their staff when thing get sticky. In my experience a happy and effective school is one where the school rules are enforced consistently by all members of staff and the teachers are supported in doing this
Chris Lowe, UK

My wife is a Primary Teacher and there is no other occupation that works the hours they do with the dedication they do for such paltry pay. Unfortunately there is a culture of not complaining as it's "just not done". Half of the two weeks Christmas break was spent marking, planning and organising the Display boards. Every night involves marking, preparation and planning until the small hours. Sundays are spent planning. My Christmas present to her was a laptop to try and cull the paper and to free up the Family desktop so my children get a chance to use it for their work without stopping her doing her preparation. I'm lucky I can afford it, many can't. What other job expects you to provide your own tools.
Peter, UK

The teachers I've met in my area seem happy, motivated and enthusiastic. Julie, UK

The teachers I've met in my area seem happy, motivated and enthusiastic. I would be interested to see a breakdown of these statistics: WHICH teachers are demotivated, where do they teach, and why are they unhappy? Blaming pay, working conditions, hours, working mothers etc. without listening to the real issues from the teachers themselves is patronising and unhelpful.
Julie, UK

The politically correct society imposed upon us has forced teachers (and many other professions) to be constantly on their guard in case they are accused of being racists, sexists, paedophiles etc. OK, there are a miniscule number of these, but with the current climate is it any wonder that no-one (especially men) wants to be a teacher?
Danny, Newcastle, UK

The whole system needs radical change. My partner is a primary teacher and frequently works late into the evenings and weekends. People may argue that this is compensated for by the holidays, but that is no benefit to the children. A tired, stressed and overworked teacher is not able to educate the children to the best of their ability. I know numerous teachers who would gladly sacrifice the so called holidays for a "normal" life and enable them to have the energy to commit themselves to 30+ children and do what they do best, teach! How about a working day of 8-4 teaching time of 8-1, children learn better in the morning, giving teachers time to prepare stimulating lessons for the children!
James, UK

I know several teachers who enjoy their work and have no intention of leaving! The significant factor - they teach in independent/private schools or colleges. At least there, the students want to learn, and teaching is something more than being a glorified childminding-service.
David Moran, Scotland/Australia

Targets are for manufacturing industries Andrew, UK

The Government is totally out of touch with the needs of the education system. It is far, far too interested in statistics, and doesn't place nearly enough emphasis on autonomy and true performance. Performance and ability cannot be measured by exams or inspections; teachers are able to, and hence should be allowed to, judge for themselves a child's ability, and grade them appropriately.

Isn't it time we took a tip from the German school system, where, up to GCSE level, the teacher is entirely responsible for the assessment of their pupils? This would have a valuable side-effect: give teachers the option to choose what they do, and they'll get a valuable morale boost. Targets are for manufacturing industries. Schools are not factories, so don't treat them like that. Let schools and teachers have a freer reign over what they do, and you'll find that you get a world of good from it.
Andrew, UK

Once again bad parenting rears its ugly head as one of the reasons for our country's problems. I'm just surprised this is happening only now. I told my wife to leave teaching about 5 years ago and she's very glad she did. She's now pursuing a more rewarding, less stressful, higher paid, more respected job!
Darren, UK

Let them leave, all I've heard them do is complain how overworked they are, 3 months holiday and they're overworked? Reduce their holiday to a normal two week one like the rest of us, so they can handle the work load, other school staff such as the so called "Non teaching staff" don't get anywhere near the amount of holidays and in some cases have more pupil contact time than teachers get and send them on a time management course.
Graham, UK

Why does the Government have to interfere with everything? Let the Teachers teach, the Doctors heal, the police keep us safe. It all worked so much better when the Government wasn't trying to turn everybody into a form filling bureaucrat and people were trusted to get on with their jobs.
Simon Mallett, UK

Teacher shortages have left children with too much supply cover and too many teachers teaching outside their own subject. The result is a subconscious revolt against below par experiences for these youngsters. A workforce which is not bound by regulation and numeric results will enhance the experiences of pupils as well as making teaching as rewarding as it was when I first joined the profession 30 years ago.
Andy Garner, Ipswich, UK

Nothing would make me recommend the profession to anyone Barry Smith, Congleton, Cheshire

As a teacher who has been off for seven months with stress, nothing would make me recommend the profession to anyone. It is time that Ofsted were made to get back into the classroom for 2-3 years in every five to inject a strong dose of reality and appreciate what they have done to a once proud profession. Whilst heads can delegate, there is nothing the classroom teacher can do - they just have to take it.
Barry Smith, Congleton, Cheshire

If I felt I would have some creative licence to 'inspire', I would leave my dull, highly paid 9-5 tomorrow. But teaching seems to be about filling in boxes, meeting business-like attainment targets and fulfilling policy-led initiatives. This is far from the "Those who can, teach" publicity, which many newly qualified teachers I know regard as a massive con.
Matthew Baty, London, UK

I was a teacher in inner London for four years and left last summer to teach in an international school here in Paris. I now have more time to enjoy my classroom teaching, plan for and deliver extra-curricular activities and equally importantly I have a full personal life. I will never return to teaching in England.
Donal O'Hagan, Paris, France

Teachers lack the dignity to admit they are not up to the job Alastair, UK

Teachers moan about their workloads, yet lack the dignity to admit they are not up to the job. In the past a teacher's post was a job for the breadwinner of a family, usually a man or a spinster, neither of whom had any domestic burden. Today many teachers are working mothers who find it impossible to balance home and school. The best thing they could do is tidy their desks and go. This would open up the profession to more dedicated teachers who once again may become respected members of our community.
Alastair, UK

I would like Alastair of the UK, who says teachers shouldn't moan about their workloads and should have "have the dignity" to admit they aren't up to the job, to spend a working day in my father's shoes. As Head of Careers, he is a one man department in charge of all careers advice, education and the arrangement of work experience placements. This is on top of his teaching and preparation workloads for a further two subjects. If Alastair believes teachers moan too much, I challenge him to arrange work placements for 200+ pupils, as well as preparing and teaching lessons for 3 subjects. Let's see how he copes with the workload - if his marking is up to date I'd be surprised!
Helen Shepherd, Wigan, UK

Who wants to be a teacher these days? Overseas visitors, sometimes poorly if at all qualified. We are not treated as educated professionals - we are simply told what to do by know-nothing, self-seeking government officials desperate to make their political mark. Endless assessment benefits no-one and merely creates endless paper-pushing.
Marianne, Cambridge UK

The A-level debacle this year, underachievement of male students and delinquency are all blamed on teachers by the media. My mother moved from NZ to England to teach in London and found discipline structures are almost non-existent. Abusive and violent students are 'troubled', and should not be 'excluded' lest the Ofsted report suffer. Teachers walked the corridors in pairs for safety reasons and one student tried to set her clothes on fire. In NZ, this would guarantee expulsion. In the UK, this results in a letter to parents.
Jules, London, UK

The teaching profession needs to become much more 'professionalized' - with higher entry requirements and rewards, ongoing certifications, and university-like perks (such as personal office space and business cards) before it can attract and retain the best from the competitive job market.
Anon, UK

A friend who qualified last summer is disillusioned and can see she will quit teaching science. One of her main reasons is the workload (in term time no weekends are free, and she has a young family), but it is also the anti-learning culture among pupils (science is "gay", according to them), and the apparent failure of parents to instil any pride in learning and self-improvement in their children.
Martyn Bell, Birmingham, UK

I would have completed my PGCE course and remained in the profession if there was less paperwork, targets and the lessons were less prescriptive. They offer no room for change or the chance to discuss issues like 11 September.
Joanna White, London, England

Milband's optimism is misleading Dr Jane Stevenson, UK

Milband's numbers-centred optimism is misleading: Schools are losing experienced teachers and replacing them with bright young things who rapidly get disillusioned. One thing coming up in teachers' comments is respect: If the government, parents AND kids fail to see value in teachers' work, it becomes very hard to do. That is the experience of many teachers, and Milband isn't addressing this at all.
Dr Jane Stevenson, UK

How do the numbers leaving teaching compare with those changing from other graduate professions? Many people explore a couple of job areas before settling down to a long term career.
D Wainer, London

David Miliband's comments earlier today on the BBC on the lines of "Crisis, what crisis?" show clearly that the government has no real intention to tackle the main issues head on and are content to spin their tinkering at the edges to try to convince people that they are making a real difference.
Rod Woodhouse, Hemel Hempstead