I'm no Maths genius but those percentages?

Volume of workload (61%)

Seeking better work/life balance (57%)

Unreasonable demands from managers (44%)

Retiring from the profession (34%)

Rapid pace of organisational change (33%)

Mental health concerns (23%)

Student behaviour (22%)

Physical health concerns (15%)

Seeking higher pay (11%)

Edited by Y Ddraig Goch (28 Jan 2016 9.17am)

Kinda muddies the waters though. Over a third were just from retiring. Did they retire early? if so, because of a big fat pension or they were sick of abuse? See my point?

Try teaching professional accounting exams. I looked into it after being ACCA qualified some are earning nearly 70k a year. Albeit they work evenings and weekends that some serious wedge with long holidays between exams and no homework to mark.

Pride of South London
Upper Holmesdale Block P

I agree with this, and increasingly the pressure is placed on pupils attaining results over the idea of education for its own sake. Problematically this tends to create generations who know the answer, but not how to solve the problem (so much).

This coupled with the commercialisation of education towards employment, are undermining the survival and propagation of cultural discourse within society (or something). Essentially, we're creating generations of students for whom education is increasingly pressured towards fiscal attainment, which damages the UK culturally.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

In the words of Cameron teachers are teaching "broken Britain". Kids have more problems than ever ( broken homes, social problems due to technology, immigration, lack of opportunity, everyone being told they're special, can be famous for doing nothing, body image issues for boys and girls, the rise of knife crime etc etc)
Yet teachers have had a pay cut in real terms since this parliament began. Bigger than ever class sizes, crumbling facilities, unrealistic politically driven exam targets, which don't even provide leavers with the skill set to succeed in work anyway.
I've been a PE teacher for 12 years (still the best subject to teach) in regards to work load. However the curriculum is so theory heavy you spend half the time talking to kids whilst they're standing still or writing in lessons now to satisfy OFSTED. School teams are virtually non existent in year 10/11 as my own head wants the kids staying after school and revising for Maths/ English etc. kids are so unfit and deluded with how good they are at sport. One kid asked me can his mate be in the football team because he's "sic on Fifa"
Kids give up, don't bring kit( supported by parents) and are told PE doesn't matter. They cannot deal with defeat or overcome challenge. All the teachers I know are knackered and leaving the profession in droves (Maths/ Science and particularly English staff are the worst effected by work load and scrutinised constantly) I'm still in the profession because I make myself have a work/ life balance but if I'm honest often at the detriment of pupils ( doing less after school clubs for example) so I can satisfy my marking targets I'm meant to be a fkin PE teacher it breaks my heart.
The summer holidays are still great I do no work for a month but other half terms I'm doing work or planning for the next term. Pay is decent as is the pension however I've got to work until 68 before I can retire ( who wants their kids taught by a knackered old PE teacher?) Most kids are still great and inspire me most of the time some of their home lives in London are a disgrace in 21st century Britainn. All I can really do is direct talented kids to academies and clubs I have no time to develop their sporting skills to any great level. Plus I try to give them trips out of school they would otherwise not have (climbing, sailing skiing etc all in my own time after school and weekends and unpaid) Teachers are more social workers than real educators which is a real shame.
Unfortunately the whole education system is not fit for purpose.
Broken kids, broken staff, broken Britain........( don't believe the demonisation of kids or teachers by the government and media they're not to blame the system is)

Thanks Tom for your life advice. If you read between the lines a little I'm not really moaning massively about my life more the system and how the job isn't what it used to be. Also that it's not an easy profession with loads of holidays as some people have stated. Quite hard to just move on as I'm on decent money and have built a career ( however I am for the first time looking about) at the end of the day only fools and horses work so people always moaning about their work ha, ha. I'm off work at the moment as my daughter is in hospital having an operation. Sorry not to be at work mate.