One in three teachers believe they will no longer be teaching within five years, due to problems with workload, government interference and poor pupil behaviour, according to a new survey.

The research, which was conducted by MORI on behalf of the General Teaching Council, found that a third would not go into teaching if they had their time again and by a massive margin teachers claim that the government and the media do not give them enough respect.

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Gwen Evans, acting joint general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "ATL congratulates the GTC and the Guardian on a very worthwhile and substantial survey.

"This has to be yet another wakeup call on workload. Teaching can still be a wonderfully fulfilling job but for far too many people it is now only a short-term option as they go for premature retirement if they are over 50 or for a new career if they are younger.

"Yet again we need to be telling the government not to squander the energies of one of their scarcest resources, teachers. Faster and more determined action is needed to cut bureaucracy, reduce class size and, most important, start trusting teachers instead of dictating to them."

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

Alison Johnston, senior professional officer at PAT, said: "Sadly, we are not surprised by the report's findings. The reasons given by teachers for leaving the profession are at the heart of many of the problems we help our members with, and are issues that we bring to the attention of employers and the government."The government, GTC, schools, unions and parents must work together to tackle these issues of pay, conditions, workload and pupil behaviour, so that we can keep teachers in the classroom and continue to recruit new graduates into the profession."We hope that the workload reforms currently being negotiated by the unions and the government will help to address some of the problems teachers have."We welcome the call by Carol Adams of the GTC for a new retention strategy and 'career support plan' for teachers."

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the NUT, said: "The survey confirms a trend which has been apparent over a number of years. The causes are undisputed - excessive workload and pupil behaviour.

"The solutions have been identified in a special report from the School Teachers' Review Body to the government. If implemented those proposals would reduce the excessive workload and make teaching more attractive. More people would become teachers and those who are in teaching would stay longer.

"What will not help is the government's plan to allow unqualified people to teach."

"Fifty per cent said that if they had to make the choice again they would still become teachers."