More teachers tripping up

Reports of teacher misconduct are on the rise

Reports of teacher misconduct and incompetence are on the rise, fresh statistics show.

Information released by the New Zealand Teachers Council under the Official Information Act showed 63 teachers in the Bay of Plenty - which included Rotorua - were reported to the council for conduct and competence issues last year.

Sixteen of these teachers were convicted for offences such as driving, dishonesty, violence or drugs. This was a 37 per cent increase on 2013, when 46 teachers were reported for conduct and competence.

Former Chapman College principal Graeme Preston said improved standards had made it easier to identify misconduct.

"The profession is trying to lift its game and that is a positive thing but quite a number of cases going through the system actually get overturned."

During 2014, 12 teachers were reported for relationship and employment matters, 17 were reported for competence, four were reported for dishonesty/fraud, two were reported for sexual behaviour and contact, while one was reported for viewing pornography. These reports did not result in convictions.

However, another nine teachers were criminally convicted for drugs and alcohol - three for dishonesty/fraud, while one teacher was convicted for violence.

In 2013, 11 teachers were reported for relationship and employment matters, nine were reported for competence, two were reported for dishonesty/fraud, and three were reported for violence.

A further 13 teachers were criminally convicted for drugs and alcohol, two were convicted for violence while one teacher was convicted for driving offences.

Mr Preston said the profession was working to improve performance and reduce misconduct.

"We are heading in the right way. We have to keep maintaining the profession at a high level of performance and skill. Every misconduct really leaves a stain on our profession but we are all human and teaching is not an easy job," he said.

"Students can give us a lot of grief at times so I can understand people making mistakes but we need to support each other and give the best possible community support so that these things happen less often."

Teachers Council acting director Rob McIntosh said the reporting of incidents increased after nationwide workshops in 2013 and 2014 to ensure teachers and principals were fully aware of their responsibilities, and after a 2014 council rules change which removed automatic name suppression for teachers in written Disciplinary Tribunal decisions. He said this acted as a deterrent, and an accountability measure, but stressed that while troubling, reports of misconduct had to be seen in context.

"While cases of inappropriate conduct by teachers often attract media attention, it is important to remember that there are over 100,000 registered teachers in New Zealand, and only a tiny fraction of them have any conditions attached to their practice," he said.