Teachers to report on 'bizarre' decisions

A Teachers' Council report tomorrow is expected to shed light on decisions to allow teachers with convictions for sexual assault and drugs to remain registered.

The council will report to Education Minister Steve Maharey after the Herald on Sunday revealed up to 20 cases since 2002 of teachers allowed registration despite having conduct as serious as sexual abuse in their backgrounds.

Among the cases were a teacher convicted of importing drugs after trying to post six Ecstasy tablets hidden in a ballpoint pen from London to New Zealand and a teacher who sexually abused his 15-year-old niece over a two-year period and said touching her was "somewhat addictive".

The council and secondary teachers' union PPTA have assured Mr Maharey the decisions were sound and proper process was followed.

But the news has shaken some educators' faith in the Teachers' Council, established as a watchdog of the teaching profession.

Secondary Principals' Association president Graham Young said he found the cases as reported to be totally unacceptable.

"It seems bizarre, doesn't it, that there are people who have been removed from schools for inappropriate and unbecoming behaviour, and the Teachers' Council allows them to continue to be registered.

"Maybe the council has an explanation that is rational but, on what I've seen, I don't find it reasonable."

The provisions for disciplinary action in the teachers' collective agreement were very clear.

"It is behaviour which is deemed to be unbecoming of the teachers' profession. That doesn't mean it has to be outside the law. But you and I and most of the public would say the examples cited are unbecoming of the profession."

A spokesman for Mr Maharey said a full report from the council would show whether the initial concern was justified.

"He is deeply concerned ... but he needs to get the full report. He wants to be reassured, so I imagine the report will cover in more detail what the processes were in these cases."

He said the council had told Mr Maharey each case involved a lot more detail than was reported in the Herald of Sunday. The minister would also seek Education Ministry advice.

Council chairman Peter Lind stood by the decisions yesterday.

"The key thing from the Teachers' Council point of view is that we are wanting to promote the safe learning environment for young people."

He was confident that, when taken in their full context, all the cases in question met that requirement.

The council has 11 members, of which four - including the chairperson - are appointed by the Education Minister. Two are nominated by teacher unions, the NZEI and PPTA, and a third by the School Trustees Association.

Four are elected by fellow teachers to represent early childhood, primary and secondary, and principals.


COUNCIL DECISIONS THIS YEAR

Given a second chance

* A teacher with two convictions for possession of cannabis in the 1980s, as well as three convictions for assault and one for breach of a protection order in 1999. The council noted its concern at the nature of the offending in 1999 and that it had occurred so recently, but said it was "out of character and occurred at a time of a great deal of stress".

* A teacher with traffic convictions for driving with excess blood alcohol and careless driving. "Offending occurred at a time when the applicant was involved in periods of heavy drinking. Due to the applicant's insight and the steps taken by the applicant, including attending counselling and abstinence from alcohol, the council granted the application."

* A teacher with a conviction for theft was given provisional registration because "the council considered, by a fine margin, that the teacher had shown appropriate remorse and made the necessary personal changes to ensure no repetition of unprofessional behaviour".

Removed from the register

* The council removed a teacher after a charge of cultivating 240 plants of cannabis was laid. The police vetting disclosed four traffic convictions from 1976 through to 1985 and four convictions for cannabis and dishonesty offences from 1977 to 2004, as well as a conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit.

* The Teachers' Council noted it was "not satisfied that the teacher was of good character or fit to be a teacher" as well as a "lack of energy to take steps to make necessary changes to avoid repeat offending and to be an effective role model for students".