Teachers are the third most trusted profession in Britain, with only nurses and doctors outperforming them, according to new research.

The annual Veracity Index, published by Ipsos MORI, found that 89 per cent of people “generally trust” teachers to tell the truth – a 2 percentage point rise on last year.

It follows a year in which teachers have become increasingly vocal in their warnings about the effect of funding pressures on schools.

The proportions of the population trusting nurses and doctors were 96 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively.

In contrast, politicians fell a full 70 percentage points below teachers, with only 19 per cent of the public trusting them.

Belief in government ministers was only slightly higher, standing at 22 per cent.

Only advertising executives, on 16 per cent, were less trusted than politicians.

Teachers were not the only education–related professionals to score highly with the public, with professors coming in fifth place, trusted by 86 per cent.

Civil servants were ranked mid-table, on 62 per cent, while less than half the public trust trade union officials, who scored 45 per cent, although this was ahead of bankers (41 per cent) and business leaders (34 per cent).

The survey also highlighted a lack of trust in journalists, who appeared just one place above government ministers, on 26 per cent.