The body responsible for registering the education workforce
in Wales has confirmed that since its establishment in 2015, it has
received 10 referrals where registered teachers might have received
temporary suspensions “if it had the statutory powers to do
so.”
Unlike its counterparts elsewhere in the UK, the Education
Workforce Council does not have the powers to suspend registration
for teachers when serious allegations, such as child sex and
pornography offences, are made against them.
The confirmation was made in correspondence – received under the
Freedom of Information Act (attached) - from the Deputy Chief
Executive of the Education Workforce Council to the Welsh
Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary, AM.
Mr Millar said: "It cannot be right that Welsh children are put at
greater risk than children elsewhere in the UK.
"While I accept that everyone is innocent until proven
guilty, teachers accused of serious offences against children
should not be allowed to continue to work with pupils until an
investigation has reached its conclusion.
"At present there is nothing to prevent teachers accused of child
sex or pornography offences in Wales from advertising themselves
as registered teachers available for supply work or private
tuition - it's completely unacceptable.
"The Education Workforce Council must be given the same
powers as its counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern
Ireland to ensure that children in Wales are protected from
unnecessary safeguarding risks."
During a Children, Young People and Education Committee
(CYPE) held in April, Mr Millar questioned the Cabinet Secretary
for Education, AM, over the
anomaly.
Ms Williams responded saying she had “no plans to change” the
situation and affirmed her confidence in school governing bodies
in being able to “act swiftly.”*
Mr Millar added: “The Welsh Government's complacency on this
issue has got to end. Children here deserve the same levels of
protection as those in other parts of the UK.
“I urge the Cabinet Secretary to move quickly to provide
the Education Workforce Council with the powers and resources it
needs to address this issue.”
/Ends
Notes to Editors:
Transcript - CYPE meeting
on 05/04/2017.
[112] : Just one of the other
powers, which, of course, they don’t have, is the power to
suspend somebody—suspend a registrant if a serious allegation has
been made—between the time that that allegation has been made and
the time that their hearing has taken place. Do you agree with me
that that undermines confidence in the profession, if serious
allegations are made about people and the registering body is not
able to suspend them or stop them practising in Wales as a
teacher in our state schools?
[113] : I understand the issue
that you’re identifying. I’m not clear how it necessarily relates
to the inquiry—
[114] : It relates to confidence in
the teaching profession.
[115] : —but what I would say is
that I do have confidence in school governing bodies to be able
to act swiftly on these situations.
[116] : But in terms of those
individuals being allowed to continue to practise, either through
an agency that they might work for or elsewhere in Wales, that’s
a concern, is it not?
[117] : Safeguarding and the
safety of our children, of course, are my primary responsibility
and concern. We are constantly reviewing to ensure that we have
systems in place that are robust. There are issues around
agencies operating out of people’s front rooms or garages, which
have come to light as a result of the task and finish group into
supply work, and we are taking action to look to see what we can
do to ensure that there is the appropriate level of robustness
and governance in these arrangements. But I have no plans to
change this at the moment.
___________________________________________________________________________
Here below with some examples where powers of interim suspension
could have been enforced if the EWC were appropriately
empowered:
· http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/trainee-teacher-been-jailed-distributing-13130208
· http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/teacher-jailed-after-police-found-12837610
· http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-38050311
· http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/former-teacher-banned-teaching-after-12616222
· http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/36745555
