Teachers are underpaid, undervalued and overworked and things need to start changing now.

That was the message from Eddie Ferguson, the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, on his visit to Swindon yesterday.

Mr Ferguson has forthright views on a wide range of educational issues which he feels need to be addressed quickly, or the country will soon begin to suffer. And top of his list is pay.

Speaking to the Evening Advertiser during his visit to Headlands School in Cricklade Road, he insisted pay needs to rise by as much as 20 per cent to meet teachers' current needs.

He believes low pay is the chief factor which makes teaching an unattractive career option for many graduates.

That has led to what Mr Ferguson described as a crisis in teacher recruitment at schools across the country.

In May this year, the Adver revealed many Swindon schools were struggling to recruit, with Greendown School in particular needing 14 new teachers for the new school year.

Headteachers said graduates were steering clear of the profession and those who did want to become teachers were avoiding Swindon because of the high house prices and the town's poor image.

Mr Ferguson, who was appointed president of ATL in September, said it is crucial to the future of British education to reverse this trend.

He said: "Youngsters are leaving university after at least four years of study with average debts of about £10,000, and teaching, with a starting wage of about £16,000, is not an attractive option.

"When McDonalds offers a trainee manager's salary of £19,600 and the Metropolitan Police offers a starting wage of £26,000, it is almost impossible for teaching to compete.

"The Government has to look at this and commit serious amounts of money to bring teaching in line with other professions, because it is the future of this country that is at stake."

Mr Ferguson is a third of the way through visiting nearly 50 ATL branches across the country in a bid to familiarise himself with local problems.

Last night he addressed the Swindon branch at the Allied Dunbar Social Club after spending the day at Headlands and Penhill Primary School and meeting Mike Lusty, Swindon Council's director of education.

Another problem which Swindon teachers know all about is the masses of paperwork they have to deal with every day.

Mr Ferguson believes the bureaucracy is detracting from the teaching.

"People in our profession are finding the workload is completely unreasonable and their private lives are suffering.

"We have a Government which is committed to family friendly policies but it seems to have forgotten that teachers have families too.

"Morale is low and they feel all they hear is a lot of rhetoric and spin from politicians, when the realities are a world away."

He also feels teachers should be allowed to get on with the job of teaching, rather than teaching to pass tests.

"A pig doesn't put on weight if you constantly weigh it," he said. "The Government is becoming far too prescriptive in telling teachers what they must teach and how.

"They need more freedom to do the job properly, because these days they are so concerned about where the school is in the league table, they don't have time for the pupils."

But on a rare positive note, Mr Ferguson believes the departure of Ofsted chief, Chris Woodhead, is a godsend for teachers.

"Chris Woodhead was to the morale of the profession what Long John Silver was to tap dancing," he joked. "If the Government has any sense at all, it will appoint someone far less confrontational, less aggressive and more teacher friendly."