IT'S easy being a teacher. Work from 9am to 4pm and enjoy the long holidays in between the short term times, do a bit of marking after work and then trot down the pub for a beer.

You could prepare for the next day if you want, but if not you can always do that in the morning can't you?

Well no, actually you can't.

Because anyone who knows, or is a teacher will tell you teaching is not a job, it's a way of life. Long hours, short holidays and masses of paperwork means being a teacher nowadays is no fieldtrip - and to top it all it offers a very modest wage.

In recent years I have learnt through friends who are teachers just how difficult the job is. But last week Channel 4 launched its latest drama called Teachers, depicting the life of a rookie teacher thrown into an unruly class.

The programme shows Andrew Lincoln better known as Egg from This Life as the 20-something teacher who's more childish than the pupils, struggling to keep his class under control.

You may be surprised to learn that nearly every teacher spoke to said they hadn't watched it. But as one Worcestershire headmaster said, I watch the Bill because it's not about teaching.

But those who did comment made it clear the new drama reflects one point few young teachers realise at first, but learn very quickly.

There is no room in a teacher's life for many things other than work.

Firstly your social life goes out the window. Forget going down the pub - most teachers will be rounding 10 hours at school off with two or three hours of marking every night.

Not only do teachers not have time, they often don't have the energy for a beer after work and if they did there's another problem.

One teacher I know will not go out anywhere near the school she works at because of the grief she gets from parents.

If she is spotted having a good time when she's out having a few beers, she'll happily bet her next month's wages there will be a telephone call or letter of complaint soon afterwards.

Because teachers are still seen as role models for children - they teach the future generation - parents expect all teachers to be immaculately behaved at all times, even when the parents are far from it.

But the problems go far deeper than the incredibly long hours and giving up your social life. In the classroom children cannot be disciplined which is a problem made worse by some parents who fail to teach their youngsters to hold any respect for the staff.

Let's face it, most teachers don't want to smack or hit children, in fact far from it. But they do want to be able to discipline or dismiss children from classes when they cause disruption.

How teachers can teach more than 30 children without being allowed to administer discipline is, let's face it, impossible.

One junior schoolteacher I spoke to said the only thing teachers are able to do to discipline children is tell them off, which never stops them. And no doubt those teachers who do dare to admonish pupils constantly run the risk of parent's complaints.

"What do you say to the parents of the other 25 children whose children have learned nothing because of a smaller group which cannot be removed from the class?" she said.

The same teacher was once told by one little boy if she tried to stop him going where he wanted he would get his parents to sue her - she'd put her hand out because she feared he was about to run into another child after the little cherub refused to walk.

Where does a child learn such an attitude? At home! Some parents simply are not bothering to teach children any form discipline or respect and indeed give the youngsters the impression the teacher is the enemy.

No wonder they end up in trouble or expelled.

We may moan about the youth of today but at the end of the day it is a reflection on their up-bringing. Teachers are there to educate children, not police their behaviour or teach them basic manners when the parents fail to do so.

Teachers, on the whole, want to help children grow up into educated and considerate individuals but if all the positive work is wiped out at home then you have to ask yourself, what's the point?

It's not surprising that the Government is having a problem recruiting teachers when we hear so many horror stories about the profession.

It's now a high-pressure job with too many traps set up by the politically correct to fall into, and it's not well paid. But that's up to the next Government, whoever it may be, to address.

What is good news, though, is this week's announcement that Worcestershire teachers and support staff will share more than £500,000 in bonuses based on improvements on GCSE and GNVQ results.

Most other companies benefit from similar schemes. But it's only a start and we need to see more of it. Teachers deserve it.