The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has charged a provisionally registered teacher with serious misconduct after she pulled a child’s hair in order to get them out from underneath a table.

The teacher was working as a short term reliever for a school when the incident was reported to the New Zealand Teachers Council. The Council noted that an investigation had previously been undertaken to address complaints that the teacher had physically mishandled children. As a result of the earlier proceedings, the teacher agreed to show the Council’s findings to prospective employers before entering into an employment relationship.

The teacher deliberately failed to supply the relevant information to the school where she was working at the time of this complaint as she felt that she would not get offered the job if they were notified of her prior behaviour.

The Tribunal censured the teacher and ordered the cancellation of her registration.

 

Alan Knowsley

Education Lawyer Wellington