Former science teacher Magnesh Reddy has been sentenced to four months' jail for faking his qualifications to work at Bream Bay College, Northland.
Reddy, aged 41, was also ordered yesterday to pay the school $23,978 to compensate for some of the wages he received in four years of teaching.
He admitted in the Otahuhu District Court that he lied on his curriculum vitae when he applied for the job in February 1995.
When the school became suspicious last year, he produced fake university records showing he had masters degrees in science education and zoology.
In fact, he was a former fast food worker, cleaner and packer.
The school became suspicious about the popular teacher because students were not doing well in exams, and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority raised concerns about his exam marking.
Reddy, then the school's $47,000-a-year specialist chemistry teacher, was made to sit a university bursary chemistry exam and scored 6 per cent.
His lawyer, Ken Prendini, said Reddy and his family had already suffered humiliation and had been ostracised because of publicity over the case.
He said no concerns were raised about Reddy's ability to teach junior science, and he had taught only 19 senior chemistry students.
Crown prosecutor Karen Mitchell said Reddy had breached the school's trust but the effect on students' academic performance was hard to measure.
She said Reddy had brought the school and the education system into disrepute.
Judge John Adams said Reddy had a talent for teaching, but students deserved to be taught by a qualified teacher.
"I have a concern for the damage that can be done to the careers and aspirations of the students," he said.
He wanted to deter other people from committing the same crime, which was hard to detect.
School principal John Fitzgerald said staff and students were devastated by Reddy's deception.
He said there was anecdotal evidence that parents had sent prospective pupils to other schools this year.
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