Teachers (List 99) (Hansard, 14 July 1976)

§ Miss Margaret Jackson

The grounds on which persons are determined as unsuitable for employment as teachers are limited to those laid down in the Regulations, namely misconduct, for example an improper sexual relationship between teacher and pupil that did not constitute a criminal offence, or conviction of a criminal offence. While our overriding concern has to be for the welfare of the children and young people in the schools and colleges, we endeavour to carry out our responsibilities in this matter with humanity.

Before a person is determined to be unsuitable for employment as a teaches he or she is given the opportunity of making representations either in writing or at an interview or both. At an interview with officers of my Department the teacher may be accompanied by a friend of his choice, who may be a relative, a legal representative or a representative of his teachers' association.

List 99 contains the names of about 1,200 persons; it gives only names, reference numbers, dates of birth and in cases of partial exclusion, the kinds of teaching employment to which the ban does not apply. It is circulated on a confidential 185W basis to local education authorities and certain other employers of teachers and to certain school and teacher organisations. This is done to enable local authorities and other employing bodies to observe their statutory duty not to employ teachers determined as unsuitable.

All teachers included in the list have first been informed in writing of their exclusion from teaching employment. Hitherto, they have not necessarily also been told that their name will appear in List 99 but my right hon. Friend has decided that in future this will be done in all cases.

It is our practice to consider applications for re-instatement after a period of time, the length of which depends upon the seriousness of the misconduct or offence which led to exclusion. If a person is reinstated his or her name is removed from List 99.