A teacher who submitted false certificates about his qualifications to the Teaching Council was guilty of professional misconduct “of the most serious kind”, an inquiry has heard.
he disciplinary committee of the Teaching Council found a series of allegations proven that the language teacher, who cannot be named, had engaged in disgraceful and dishonourable conduct that brought the teaching profession into disrepute.
The committee said the teacher’s actions had also breached the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers after hearing evidence at a fitness-to-teach inquiry last April.
The committee found allegations proven that the teacher had submitted fraudulently created documentation purportedly coming from the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in England and the UK’s Department of Education in order to register as a teacher in Ireland in 2020.
The falsified certificates suggested he had completed a teaching induction programme in the UK
The inquiry also found him guilty of falsely completing a form purporting to be from his former principal at a school in England and using a bogus school stamp.
The teacher also falsely claimed he had been the victim of a scam by the TRA to cover up his own fraudulent actions and he repeated the bogus claim in a complaint he had lodged with the Ombudsman about the Teaching Council.
Counsel for the Teaching Council, Hugh McDowell BL, told a hearing today that it was not advocating for any particular sanction against the teacher.
However, Mr McDowell said it was “a very serious case” which had the capacity to undermine public trust and confidence in the teaching profession.
“It is at the upper end of the scale of seriousness given the level of dishonesty,” observed Mr McDowell.
He said what happened could not be regarded as “a single, isolated incident” as it had taken place over a period of time in “multiple episodes”.
Mr McDowell said there was no question that the teacher’s conduct was deliberate and was “quite calculated with a considerable degree of pre-meditation”.
He acknowledged that the teacher had demonstrated insight into his behaviour and had not contested the allegations at the public inquiry. He showed remorse for his actions.
The committee’s legal assessor, Patricia Dillon SC, said Mr McDowell was a bit unfair to characterise the teacher’s actions as a series of incidents when they related to the same issue.
The teacher, who was not legally represented, told the hearing that he accepted his conduct constituted professional misconduct “of a higher nature” and again apologised for his behaviour.
However, he stressed that he never presented a danger to the public including any students or teaching colleagues.
The teacher said he was hugely ashamed of what he had done and had suffered as a result of his poor judgment.
“It will have an impact for the rest of my life and career,” he remarked.
At the inquiry in April, the teacher claimed he had got “caught up in a terrible web of lies” before explaining that a teaching post in England had not worked out due to stress and anxiety and he had returned to Ireland to support his family.
The teacher said his mental health also suffered during the Covid-19 lockdown when he was unemployed.
Although he subsequently secured the offer of a teaching job at a secondary school, he was warned by the principal that she might have to let him go if he was not fully qualified.
The teacher told the hearing that he is due to start work as a special needs assistant next month – a position which does not require him to be registered with the Teaching Council.
He reminded the committee that his actions were as a result of frustration about obtaining employment and the possibility of his family losing their home.
He admitted he remained very embarrassed and deeply ashamed about what happened but stressed he was not trying to shy away from or minimise what occurred.
“I still question what brought me to that frame of mind,” he added.
The committee heard that two school principals who had provided character references for the teacher stood over them after hearing that he faced a fitness-to-teach inquiry.
The committee chairperson, Charlie Dolan, said it would issue its recommended sanction within 21 days.
Potential sanctions can range from advice, admonishment or censure up to suspension or removal from the Register of Teachers, with the more serious penalties needing to be formally confirmed by the High Court.
Teacher who submitted false certs about teaching qualifications to work in Ireland guilty of professional misconduct ‘of most serious kind’ & Latest News Update
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