Threat to teachers' kids

News | Published in The TES on 19 June, 2009 | By: Richard Vaughan

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Teachers accused of abuse by their pupils could face being banned from having contact with their own children, union leaders said this week.

Speaking at a Commons schools select committee on Wednesday, union chiefs said the process following an accusation was often a case of "guilty until proven innocent".

Amanda Brown, the NUT's assistant secretary for employment, conditions and rights, said: "Social services investigations can involve the teacher and their own children.

"We have a member who was told that he couldn't have sole contact with his baby daughter for a year. He had to sign a form saying so. He wasn't allowed to change her; he wasn't allowed to be with her or to feed her, if the mother wasn't present."

The committee also heard that teachers were becoming increasingly fearful of pupils making false allegations about them. Indeed, the unions say that many graduates say false accusations are a reason not to join the profession.