Date of Publication: December 11, 2023
The allegations before the Inquiry Panel were proven beyond reasonable doubt, namely that the registered teacher created a false document purporting to be a certificate from the Department for Education in England, confirming that she had attained qualified teacher status in England, and that she submitted this false document to the Teaching Council, when she knew or ought to have known that it was a falsified document.
The registered teacher also dishonestly communicated with the Teaching Council on five separate occasions during September 2020, which included communications claiming that she had completed teacher training in Scotland and had completed part of her practice in Scotland, when she knew or ought to have known that this was not the case.
The Panel found that the allegations taken individually and/or in combination and/or cumulatively amounted to professional misconduct. The Panel also found that the allegations taken individually, cumulatively or in combination amounted to conduct which was contrary to paragraph 2.1 and 3.1 of the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers, Updated 2nd Edition 2016 (the “Code”). The Panel found that certain allegations taken individually, cumulatively or in combination amounted to conduct which was contrary to paragraph 2.3 of the Code.
Following the Inquiry, the Panel of the Disciplinary Committee decided to remove the registered teacher’s name from the register of teachers and decided that she would not be eligible to apply to be restored to the register, under Section 31 of the Teaching Council Acts 2001 to 2015, before the expiration of a period of two years.
The Disciplinary Committee Panel’s decision was confirmed by the High Court on 6 October 2023 and the sanction took effect.