Teacher censured after providing students with alcohol on a school trip…

A teacher has behaved in an unprofessional manner while supervising a school sports trip to Australia. On the trip the teacher supplied three students aged 19 and 17 with alcohol, despite the school’s rules prohibiting students from possessing or consuming alcohol. The teacher also allowed a student on their restricted license to drive a van carrying other students as passengers.

The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal censured the teacher for serious misconduct and imposed several conditions on his practising certificate which included the teacher undertaking a course on the proper boundaries between teachers and students.

The Tribunal said that this case was one of lack of judgment where the teacher had acted like the students’ friend rather than their teacher.

The Tribunal noted that the teacher had 14 years of experience and an unblemished record. The Tribunal was satisfied that the teacher had learnt his lesson and would not repeat his behaviour.