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Teachers: Misconduct

Volume 458: debated on Wednesday 28 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were referred to the General Teaching Council for England for unacceptable professional misconduct under section 1 of the Code of Conduct for Registered Teachers in each of the last five years; and how many were referred under each subsection of the code. (126494)

Figures obtained from the General Teaching Council for England of the number of teachers referred under Section 1 of the Code of Conduct for Registered Teachers (unacceptable professional conduct) in each of the last five financial years, are shown in the following table.

Conduct referrals

2002/03

49

2003/04

64

2004/05

100

2005/06

91

2006/07 (to 31 January 2007)

117

Total

421

The General Teaching Council for England does not break down how many were referred for consideration under each subsection of the Code. However, it does publish an Annual Report on its registration and regulation activity, which from 2003 onwards has included an analysis of instances where there were findings of unacceptable professional conduct by category. This analysis for the years 2001/03 (two financial years together), 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 is as follows.

Instances

2001/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

Inappropriate language and/or inappropriate conduct in respect of pupils

5

2

4

13

Actions which undermine the school and/or parents

2

3

25

26

Misconduct relating to management and administration of exams

2

4

9

23

Fraud and financial impropriety

2

10

8

15

Misrepresentation of qualifications and other matters

1

2

4

10

Misconduct relating to contractual matters

1

1

5

15

Misconduct outside the workplace including criminal convictions

1

6

7

23

Totals

14

28

62

125