Teachers disciplined for physical abuse of children...

Case A: The Teacher’s Disciplinary Tribunal has found a teacher guilty of serious misconduct and struck her off for multiple incidents of verbal abuse of primary school students including swearing, giving the finger, tearing up students’ work, disparaging comments on students’ weight and academic ability plus refusing to help students, discouraging teacher aids from assisting, and threatening students.

The Tribunal found that her behaviour was seriously damaging to students’ wellbeing and learning needs. Striking off was the appropriate penalty as no rehabilitation measures would result in the teacher being fit to teach due to the level of ongoing risks.

Case B: The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has recently charged a teacher with serious misconduct after they hit a child on the head with their knuckles.

The teacher told the child to share with another child in the play area. The child did not listen and so the teacher took the child inside and hit the child on the head with her knuckles. Another teacher described hearing the “knocking” sound of the hit and the child was visibly upset by the incident. The teacher initially denied ever hitting the child, but later admitted that she had done so with her knuckles.

The Tribunal had to determine whether the teacher’s conduct amounted to serious misconduct. Serious misconduct may occur when a teacher’s actions:

1. Adversely affect, or are likely to adversely affect, the wellbeing or learning of one or more children; and/or
2. Adversely reflects the teacher’s fitness to be a teacher; and/or
3. May bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

The Tribunal noted that the teacher had hit the child hard enough for it to be heard by another teacher. The child had also become very upset after the incident.

It must be emphasised that any force used by a teacher against a child for corrective or punishment reasons is unacceptable and will usually amount to serious misconduct. Each case is to be decided on its own facts, but physical force is generally on the more serious end of serious misconduct.

The Tribunal also emphasised the stressors that come with the teaching profession, and that teachers must be able to deal with those stressors in an appropriate manner.

The Tribunal decided that the teacher’s actions amounted to serious misconduct. The teacher was censured and is required to provide a copy of the Tribunal’s decision to any future employers for the next two years. The teacher has also been ordered to complete a course in managing behaviours.

Case C: The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has found a teacher guilty of serious misconduct for smacking two children at home. The teacher was a court appointed caregiver for three children.  She smacked one of the children on the leg and another on the bottom for misbehaving.  Teachers at the children’s school noticed marks from the smacking and referred the matter to Oranga Tamariki which reported it to the Police.

The Police did not lay charges or give a formal warning.  The school principal referred the matter to the Teaching Council as the teacher worked at the school. The Tribunal censured the teacher and required her to undergo mentoring and professional development for 12 months.