A SECONDARY school teacher accused of having a “Free Derry” Christmas card and a “Bobby Sands” mug in their classroom faces being struck off.
The name, gender and school where the teacher was working at the time of the alleged activities have not been made public.
The allegations against the individual include having a “‘Free Derry’ postcard” in class and writing the term “hun town” in notes during a development day.
Whilst another charge alleges that the teacher used “prior knowledge” of a Modern Studies exam to “advise pupils on the areas to study in advance” of the test.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) has also accused the teacher of having “inappropriate contact with pupils personally by email.”
A scheduled hearing at the industry watchdog is due to meet next week in Edinburgh where the teacher faces being disciplined or struck off the teaching register.
According to the GTCS, the incidents took place to during the 2013/2014 academic year.
The charges on the watchdogs website read: “On exact dates unknown whilst employed by… you did have inappropriate items within your classroom including a “Free Derry” Christmas card, a “Free Derry” postcard and a “Bobby Sands” mug.
The GTCS continued: “…use inappropriate language, within your notes at a development day in August 2014 in that you did write ‘hun town’ in your notes.
“Share music with a colleague who was a probationer, which was inappropriate and in doing so, you did breach your employer’s Information Technology Policy”.
Whilst another charge read: “On exact dates unknown during the 2013/2014 academic year whilst employed by… you did use your prior knowledge of the content of the 2014 Modern Studies exam to advise pupils on the areas to study in advance of the exam.
The charge adds: “Have inappropriate contact with pupils personally by email.”
“And in light of the above, it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach”.
Bobby Sands was a pro Irish Republican Army supporter who died after a hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze.
He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which nine Irish republican prisoners died.
Free Derry was a self-declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry, Northern Ireland, that existed between 1969 and 1972.
ENDS
