Teacher misconduct cases have hit a high with about 1300 teachers having been pulled up on various allegations of misconduct in the past six years.
The allegations included serious misconduct, violence, viewing pornography, sexual misconduct, dishonesty, alcohol and drug use, or incompetency.
Last year, 233 formal complaints werelodged against teachers with the Teachers Council - nearly a third for alcohol and drugs, the Dominion Post reported.
However, unions claimed aggrieved parents made spurious and vexatious complaints against teachers that often turned out to be groundless.
Educational Institute president Frances Nelson said teachers were easy targets for unhappy parents.
There are 90,000 registered teachers, but since 2005, just 40 have been referred to the council's disciplinary tribunal for formal proceedings over the most serious misconduct allegations.
Most of the teachers were censured while 26 teachers were struck off for misbehaviour, mostly for sexual misconduct or viewing pornography.
Official Information Act figures showed that the most common allegation against teachers was misconduct, including inappropriate communications with pupils or parents, followed by incompetency, violence, alcohol and drugs, dishonesty, sexual misconduct and pornography.
Post Primary Teachers Association president-elect Kate Gainsford said there had always been spurious complaints.
"Sometimes they're just not substantiated enough to take further."
