Teacher accused of running off with pupil, 16

A male teacher has been accused of running off with a 16-year-old female student at Wairarapa College.

Wairarapa College principal Mike Schwass confirmed that the allegation of professional misconduct was made on Wednesday.

Though Mr Schwass would not go into any detail, the Wairarapa Times-Age was told by other sources a teacher had struck up a relationship with a 16-year-old Year 12 pupil at the school and they had since left town.

The mother of the girl declined to comment on the matter.

Mr Schwass said he would speak further about the allegation as allowed by the "steps and processes" by which he is bound.

He said the teacher at the centre of the allegation had been employed at the school for only "a relatively short period of time".

"Any such allegation is taken very seriously by Wairarapa College. We have initiated an investigation following the processes outlined by the New Zealand Schools Trustees Association and the NZPPTA (New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association).

"All schools have ministry guidelines to follow that allow them to focus on their core function of teaching and learning and these are in place," Mr Schwass said.

When either the principal or the board of trustees receives a complaint against a teacher the employer must determine if the teacher needs to be disciplined, according to a guideline drawn from the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement on teacher conduct and discipline.

The teacher must be informed of any allegation and of his or her right to consult the PPTA association and right to be represented at any stage by a PPTA field officer.

In most cases the principal will make the judgment about whether or not the allegations are serious enough to warrant further action.

- WAIRARAPA TIMES AGE