A new international study which shows that fewer than a third of teachers in developed countries feel their profession is valued reinforces the importance of promoting a positive and constructive view of the profession.

That’s the view of leading education recruitment consultancy TLTP Education (The London Teaching Pool), which sponsors the Pride In Teaching campaign in the UK.

“The fact that, according to this report, only 35% of teachers in England feel valued is very disappointing,” comments Darryl Mydat, managing director of TLTP Education.

“At a time when we are experiencing an almost unprecedented shortage of teachers across the board, but particularly in core subjects, this merely underlines the importance of the need for a serious step change in the way we view, talk about and promote teaching if we are retain the best talent and encourage the next generation into the profession. Sometimes, I think, we get so caught up in the detail that we forget the importance of the bigger picture.’

The report - Teaching and Learning International Survey - shows that many teachers do not feel that the importance of their role is recognised and that teachers in Europe are particularly likely to feel undervalued; only 31% believed that their work was valued by the rest of society. This contrasts with Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and Abu Dhabi where there was a strong sense of teaching being highly respected.

The report also shows that teachers in England are working 46 hours per week in term time, considerably above the international average of 38 hours, with only Singapore, 48 hours, and Japan, 54 hours, working longer.

“The workload and stress are issues that are often cited to us as reasons why experienced teachers are leaving the profession,” continues Mydat. “However, I believe that many would continue if they felt that their contribution was valued and that the work they do regarded with some respect and importance.”

Mydat cites the fact that the Pride In Teaching campaign has already attracted an highly engaged following of 6500 on Twitter and more than 2000 on Facebook as evidence of teachers’ desire to get the pride and respect back into the profession.