A TEACHER who was banned from teaching in England after claiming extra cash from parents for school trips is now trying to get back in the classroom – but in Scotland.
David Malengela was removed from the register in 2018 by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) after being found to have acted dishonestly while planning a school trip.
The language teacher, who taught at St Peter’s School in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, wrote to parents telling them the £390 cost of a 2017 trip to Paris had gone up.
He then asked for ‘behaviour and boarding deposits’, citing an ‘additional £20 refundable behaviour deposit for the Hotel Bon-Sejour’.
And the 45-year-old was also found to have requested £21 during a briefing to families for a security deposit to attend a science museum.
The TRA heard how Mr Malengela charged pupils an extra £17.50 each just to board the coach – unbeknown to the school and tour operator.
They banned him from the classroom after declaring that he showed a lack of ‘integrity’ and was ‘dishonest’ with the school.
Now, four years later, he has applied to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) for registration to become a teacher north of the border.
Presenting Office Jamie Devlin yesterday said: “Mr Malangela has not attended the hearing.
“He was applying for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland but made no correspondence.
Mr Devlin added: “He denied unprofessional conduct in that he failed to administer proper trips to France.
“I see no reason to re-run a case which has already been overseen by another regulatory body.”
The allegations against Mr Malengela that the panel will be considering state: “While you were employed as a teacher at St Peter’s School, Huntingdon you failed to properly administer one or more trips to France taken in and around May – July 2017.
“In that you informed parents that the cost of one or more trips had increased when price increase had not been agreed and/or cost by the school.
“You had no evidence and/or good reason to justify the price increase.
“[You] requested that money for one or more trips be paid directly to you [and] failed to respond adequately to requests made by the school finance team for accurate data and/or information relating to the trip(s).
“Your conduct at the allegation above was dishonest [and] lacking integrity.”
Cambridgeshire Police carried out a fraud probe against Mr Malengela, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but concluded that no further action was taken.
Over the course of a three day hearing the GTCS panel will now decide whether or not to accept Mr Malengela’s application.
The hearing continues.
