at least, according to NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates.
Now I was a teacher for 25 years and during that time I heard very little that made much sense from any of the teaching unions...
...I see nothing much has changed...
She told ITV's Tonight programme the law was wrong because a teacher could legally enter a relationship with a sixth former at another school.
Her problem it would seem, is that if I was (once more) a teacher and I was "dating" (what a nice modern euphemism that is) a VIth former from the school up the road, I would be fine. But if the girl was from my school, I could end up before the beak...
Unfair? - Absolutely....So what???
If Ms Keates cannot see the difference between a girl (or boy) from the school up the road and one that I may have taught at times over the last seven years, she's a moron.
Incidentally, she doesn't even understand the actual law...it only relates to pupils under eighteen and not actually eighteen as she states. Although, chances are, any school management team or governors with half a brain would discipline a teacher up to dismissing them, even if the pupil was over eighteen.
It is of course an issue of position and authority and not merely age...
...I can't speak for modern recruits to the job but I went into teaching with some (possibly vague) sense of vocation. I certainly didn't start teaching as a way to pick up girls. And there should be an atmosphere in the classroom that means that any development of this type of relationship is impossible - what a headteacher of mine called an "informal formality"
And of course, I'm not really saying that I believe that is the motive of those who do pursue these relationships...and neither are they peadophiles, whatever the tabloids might shout...
But even if there is no accounting for the human heart, even if it really is "luuurv".....
...can't you wait a year or so before you play hide the sausage????
Is this law fair...to teachers?
No, probably not. And its not well framed either...I doubt if it does the "couple" much good by actually jailing the teacher. Put them on the sex offenders register? - probably not effective either, after all the teacher is hardly likely to repeat the action!
Perhaps the unions should be calling for better teacher training so that fewer of their members got themselves in this predicament. (Whatever the truth of the argument about the standards of GSCE and 'A' levels, teacher training in general is one area where standards have fallen for years).
Is this law something teachers should be happy to put up with...to protect those they supposedly came into the profession to help?
Yes, absolutely.
teaching sex law morals education
