Over half of trainees told a survey that they were not prepared for the pressures in their initial education

A third of trainee teachers in Scotland say they are looking to quit in the next decade because they cannot cope with the punishing hours, badly behaved children and bullying by senior staff.

Over half of trainees told a survey that they were not prepared for the pressures of the job in their initial teacher education. They report working up to 95 hours a week between teaching, planning and paperwork, and complain of physical abuse from pupils and bullying from mentors.

One trainee told MSPs on the education and skills committee that “systematic bullying is rife in the profession”. Another said that some staff “were openly transphobic, homophobic and sectarian”.

The survey found that a teacher abandoned a permanent council post for a short-term position