Questionnaire have been sent to the homes of 5,000 practising teachers - almost 10 per cent of the workforce - by the council’s discipline working group. Other teachers will join focus groups.

The survey is a direct response to the concerns teachers have raised with the council. Its findings will be collated by the working group and a report published in the autumn.

Professor Douglas Weir, convener of the discipline working group, said:

“The General Teaching Council for Scotland is fully behind the Scottish Executive in its campaign for Better Behaviour, Better Learning. However, its teacher members have many concerns to raise and positive ideas about how to tackle this problem.

“As a response to teacher concerns, the GTC is launching this comprehensive survey as part of its support for teachers and its commitment to helping them achieve high quality learning for their pupils . . . We want to hear what teachers think.

“The survey results will be used to support all teachers and assist the Scottish Executive by highlighting the best approaches to dealing with this major impediment in the way of improving the standards of achievement of young Scots.”